Living in a Nightmare
by SapphireSpark
Summary: Braelyn never imagined the world ending in the way that it did, due to the hands of the Decepticons. Although, when she meets an Autobot, long believed to be dead, she has a sliver of hope that maybe, just maybe, the human race can be saved. Through her journey, she discovers feelings she thought were long gone– ones that she had shut away for good. (Sideswipe x OC)
1. Echoes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, only the characters I have created.**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 1: Echoes**

 **–––––**

My worn out boots scraped the ground as I walked, my eyes flickering over the houses around me. The silence of the deserted neighborhood made it appear as if a ghost town– it practically was, as it had been abandoned nearly two months ago.

I had gotten used to the lack of human company. When it all started, there had been plenty of people I came across, but in the past two weeks, I haven't seen a single _living_ soul. Those who had been smart and set off into the wilderness had a greater chance of survival, as the people who believed the shelters provided were safe, had been completely wrong.

Halting, I crossed to the other side of the street, glancing up and down the road, a habit of mine ever since I was a child. A feeling deep within me stirred, as if trying to recollect the memories of my childhood, but it vanished. There was no time to think about the past anymore.

I gripped the straps of my backpack as I walked to one of the houses that seemed relatively untouched, pulling the small handgun I had out of my belt. I crept up the stairs, the light creaking alerting my senses with each step I took, until I reached the patio. My eyes fell onto the two rocking chairs next to a table, with dead flowers in a delicate vase on top of it.

"I wonder who sat there once," I said aloud, immediately covering my lips. It was foolish to speak when I was alone; the hearing of the robots had to be very advanced. Speaking of _robots_ , I turned to face the neighborhood road, a distant sound of an engine catching my attention.

Freezing momentarily, I ran to the door, turning the doorknob quickly. _It's unlocked_ , I thought, as the knob turned a full rotation, and I hurried inside, careful not to slam the door as I shut it. The sound of the engine had become louder, and I pushed my body against the wall, holding my gun in the air steadily. My stomach gave a low growl, and I winced, reminding myself I needed to check for food after the sound of the engine would disappear, and the coast was clear. _If_ it disappeared.

I slowly crept towards a nearby window, hesitantly pulling back the blinds as I watched a dark car quickly approaching in the distance. _Please drive by_ , I prayed, my dark blue eyes focusing on the moving object like a hawk would its prey. To my horror, it rolled to a smooth stop, sitting there without moving.

Daring to breathe, I opened my lungs, sweet oxygen filling them as I took a shaky breath. I couldn't tell if it was one of _them_ or not, the stillness of the vehicle terrifying me. _Relax, Braelyn,_ I thought, _maybe it's just a person_. A gut feeling told me I should run, flee the area before it would sense my presence. Or, if it were not a robot, I still should avoid the people.

I stood up, my eyes never leaving the black car. Slowly, taking small steps backwards, I began to move through the living room, maneuvering around armchairs and tables as I did so. I held my gun steady, a finger hovering over the trigger, giving me a sense of security.

The sound of metal scraping against metal and gears whirring made me freeze, as I watched the car transform into what I had feared all along. It _was_ a Decepticon.

"Shit," I whispered, my mind buzzing with thoughts of how to survive this encounter, which would most likely end in my death. I bit my lip, still frozen, as the Decepticon began to walk towards the house I was in. _Yep, definitely after me_ , I thought, before scrambling backwards, searching for an escape route.

My eyes landed on a sliding glass door, and I sprinted towards it, pulling it open. It slid with ease, and I hurried out of the house, onto the overgrown lawn, full of bright green grass. I pushed a strand of my brown hair that had fallen out of my ponytail behind my ear, jumping as the sound of an explosion came from within the house. Did it still think I was in there?

Giving myself no time to think, I began to run along the edge of the treeline, where the forest met the lawns of the houses. I could either run into the forest and hope to find somewhere to hide, or run in the open street, as someone could possibly hear my cries of help. Glancing backwards for a second, I watched as the Decepticon stopped firing at the house, its crimson, red eyes focusing on me.

"Don't make this hard for yourself, human!" It roared, before taking after me.

My heart pounded, slamming within my chest, as I decided to continue along the treeline. The chances of it were slim, but it was better than running into the forest, where I could become lost without food for days if I were to escape the Decepticon. My supply was dangerously low, something I needed to preserve before I found more of it.

A blast of energy flew over my head, and I tripped, my face colliding with the earth. A sear of pain shot across my body, and I groaned, shakily pulling myself to my feet before continuing to run. I gasped for air, my muscles screaming for me to stop, and I felt myself beginning to lose energy. I could only last like this for a few more minutes before my body would give way.

Two more blasts were shot at me, both narrowly missing my body. A cry of help left my lips as I turned towards the road, hoping somebody would see me. I had little time before the Decepticon would reach me, its speed much greater than mine.

Turning my body backwards and skidding to a halt, I positioned my gun, aiming it at the metallic face of the robot. I pulled the trigger, a satisfying cry of pain making me grin as it covered its face.

"Urg! My optic!" It yelled, stopping its chase after me. It took its hands away, revealing multiple large cracks in its eye. Before I could start running, it reached to pick me up, sharp claws jabbing into my sides. I cried out in pain, tears silently slipping down my cheeks as I squirmed helplessly.

"Help!" I screamed with all of my might, my chest heaving for air. The Decepticon only tightened its grip on me, and I began to cry, a true feeling of helplessness washing over me. _This was it_.

"You thought you could outrun me, puny being? _And_ shoot me in the optic? That was a big mistake on your part, no-no," it growled, wagging its finger in the air as if taunting me.

I clenched my teeth, eyebrows furrowing as I tried to get out of its grasp, but it was useless. "Why?" The word escaped my lips, and I frowned, grunting. "Why would you do this? To humans? What did we _ever_ do to you?" I hissed.

The Decepticon stared at me, as if considering my question. I suddenly heard the roar of an approaching engine behind it, and saw a flash of movement as the familiar sound of metal scraping once again filled my ears. _Great. Another bad guy to join the party._

My body was jerked as the Decepticon turned to face the other robot, its fist clenching tighter around me, if it was even possible. I screamed, praying for the pain to stop, as I felt my skin break open under the force of the claws. My eyes fell on the new, silver robot, and it snarled, growling lowly.

"Put the human femme down now," it said, and I was jolted back in surprise. So, it wasn't a bad guy?

The robot was smaller than than my captor, its body held up on two wheels. I expected to see red eyes like all of the others I had seen, but instead I saw an electronic blue, glowing softly. The small orbs flickered to me, and the robot's face plating contorted with anger.

"I'm surprised to see you," the Decepticon said, its low voice sending shivers down my spine, "but I'm afraid I won't give her to you that easily."

Giving no response, the robot shot forward, tackling the Decepticon. It lost its grip on me, and I was sent flying into the air, twisting helplessly as I began to fall, screaming. I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact, my life flashing before my eyes, but I never hit the ground. The robot had caught me moments before impact, settling me gently onto the ground before pursuing after the Decepticon.

I scrambled to my feet, my hands clumsily trying to hold my sides to relieve the pain. A warm liquid stuck to my hands when I pulled them away, feeling lightheaded as I saw the amount of blood I was losing. The ground shook as I focused back on the battling robots, attempting to hurry away as quickly as I could.

The silver robot had the evil robot pinned underneath him, stabbing it repeatedly with what appeared to be swords on its lower arms. Blue liquid flowed from the wounds, the Decepticon grunting in pain, trying to pry the attacker off of itself, but failing.

"You'll never get away with trying to harm that girl," the silver robot growled, halting its stabbing of the robot. With the click of a gun, it fired a shot into the chest of its enemy, hopping off of its body with ease. The Decepticon remained motionless, its red eyes fading into nothingness as my body began to tremble. Tears pooled in the corner of my eyes, and I bit the inside of my lip to stop myself from crying out loud due to the intense growing pain in my sides.

The remaining robot wheeled over to me, its silver metal reflecting the sunlight as it approached. I whimpered lightly, my eyes coming in contact with soft, blue ones. It kneeled, keeping a small distance between us.

"Are you alright?" It asked, and my vision began to blur. Its form now became a fuzzy gray blob, and my mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out.

With my mind catapulting into darkness, I blacked out.

 **–––––**

 **A/N: I missed all of you so much! Life has gotten in the way, but I'm slowly hoping to recover some time that's been taken up so I can write. This story idea has been in my mind for so long, and I desperately wanted to write it down, so I did. Words can't explain how happy I am to be posting again, although as for my two other stories, "I Need You" and "Fix Your Heart", I don't think those will be updated for a long time (sadly).**

 **Please leave a review letting me know who read this and your opinions so far! Many thanks to those who do so :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	2. Safety

**A/N: I finally got the time to just sit down and write, something I really needed! But, school is finally out, and although I'll be _very_ busy this summer, I'll try my best to get some regular updates for all of you!**

 **Already six reviews on this story? You guys are amazing, thank you so much for the support! I especially want to thank The Silvernote, SunnySidesFemme, Don't judge me I'm a Fangirl, Vodid, Guest, and Starlit Storyteller for the reviews. Keep it up, I love hearing your thoughts/feedback!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 2: Safety**

 **–––––**

 _Feeling_. It was the first sense that came back to me, and a swarm of emotions came with it, a mixture of confusion and hurt washing through my mind. Something was touching me– the soft fabric of an old couch felt gentle against my skin, as if caressing my body.

Slowly, my eyelids began to open, a wave of light hitting my eyes, causing me to turn my head to the side as I scrunched my nose. I became aware of my surroundings; I was laying on a couch in a living room, tan walls enclosing various kinds of furniture around the space. A few feet away was a wooden coffee table, and two water bottles sat upon it, as well as a can of beans and soup. My stomach immediately grumbled, and I opened my mouth, my tongue dry as sandpaper.

I tried to sit up, but a sudden, intense pain flared in my sides, making me cry out. Collapsing back onto the couch, I stared at the ceiling, a thought crossing my mind.

How did I _get_ here?

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I tried to recall where I last was before I passed out. The image of a silver robot flashed across my mind, and my eyes widened. A Decepticon had been chasing me, but some mysterious robot had saved my life. _Where was it?_ I thought, trying to look out the window, but another pain ripped through my torso, and I clenched my teeth in anguish.

Slowly, I lifted my blood-stained shirt, revealing a white bandage wrapped tightly around my waist. My lip quivered, and I frowned, scanning the room. _Weird… No one seems to be here,_ I silently thought, before moving my eyes back towards the bandage. My fingers trailed over the rough surface, vaguely remembering how I had gotten the injury it was covering.

My stomach gave another growl, and I forced myself to sit up, hissing loudly and mentally cursing as I swung my legs over the edge of the couch. I reached forward and snatched a water bottle into my hands, twisting the cap gently as I removed it. Lifting my arm, I was about to have a drink, when I paused, my eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. _Someone_ could have poisoned it. Although it was a smarter idea to put it down, my throat, dry as a desert, disagreed. If they wanted to kill me, wouldn't they have left me alone to die, and not helped to tend to my injuries?

Shrugging, I placed the tip of the water bottle onto the crevice of my lips, humming in a pleased way as I felt the cool liquid rush down my throat. It hadn't occurred to me how thirsty and parched I had been; I never thought water could taste _this_ good. Within minutes, one of the water bottles was empty, the other having a small amount of water left in it. I grabbed the can of soup, which had already been conveniently opened, although the lid was sloppily hanging on by a thin piece of metal. Whoever opened it didn't know how to work a can opener properly.

A few gulps of the cold, chunky soup later, a reflection of light in a nearby window grabbed my attention. Holding onto the arm chair of the couch, I shakily pulled myself up, grunting in pain as my sides felt like they were burning. I walked, taking one cautious step after another, until I peeked outside, a gasp escaping my lips as my eyes fell onto something sitting in the driveway, as if it had been there all along.

A silver Corvette Stingray... _and_ by the looks of it, it was a concept car.

I stared at it, not sure what action I should take. I remembered before the end, before the Autobots were seen as good guys again, before Cemetery Wind had been taken down, it had been said that the Transformers often chose to be cars built for speed… and the car sitting idly thirty yards away from me seemed to perfectly fit the description.

That and the fact that it had been a _good_ robot that rescued me from the Decepticon. Or, so I thought.

Biting my lip, I scanned the room, letting out an _ah-ha!_ when my eyes landed on what I was searching for. Walking over, I stopped near a table, grabbing my belt that had a holster for a gun attached to it. Taking the weapon out of its casing, I gave a small smile, turning it around with my fingers, the cool surface feeling nice against my calloused hands. Whoever had left it here, didn't pay attention to the fact that they were leaving a deadly weapon for me to use freely. _Thanks, stranger,_ I thought.

Heading towards the door, I took a deep breath, knowing that what lay ahead may not be what I wanted. Slowly, I turned the knob of the door, slipping through the crack I made. Keeping the gun held against my side, I began to walk towards the silver Corvette, the steady pounding of my heart keeping me in high-alert. _Could this really be an Autobot?_ I asked myself, _or is my mind playing a trick?_ Halting ten feet away from the still form, I stared at the car, a slight humming noise catching my attention.

"Hello?" I called, taking a hesitant step forward. The Corvette remained still, unyielding, as if it couldn't hear me. I was almost positive it was a Transformer... As seen by when the robot rescued me, its armor, metal plating, or whatever you want to call it, had been a glittering silver, just like the car resting in front of me. I walked a few more steps, my eyes still fixed to the Corvette, although it continued to remain still, showing no signs of life.

Maybe I was wrong.

I glanced to my left, letting out a small gasp as my eyes fell onto the body of the Decepticon from the previous day's encounter. The motionless form lay in the grass of the yard, eyes dimmed, a blue liquid dried upon its dark armor. A sudden feeling of curiosity stirred deep within me, wanting to examine the body more closely. Starting to walk forwards, I turned my body in the direction of the Decepticon.

Seconds away from reaching out to touch the Decepticon, a voice startled me.

" _You might not want to touch that_."

I yelped, whipping my body towards the source of the sound, eyebrows raising in confusion when I saw no one was there. Looking towards the Corvette, my heart jumped as it began to transform, the sharp sounds of metal grinding and hydraulics whirring filling my ears. I watched as a Transformer appeared where the car had been, two electric-blue eyes falling onto me. My hands shook as I looked up and down his body, the gun still glued to the sweating palm of my hand. I took a step backward, but I tripped, falling onto the ground, emitting a grunt of pain as my sides flared.

The robot began to move closer to me, its eyes seeming to brighten, then dim as it continued to watch me. It kneeled down, balancing carefully on a single wheel.

"Please, don't hurt me," I said, grabbing my torso as I tried to control the pain, my teeth clenched together.

"What makes you think I would hurt you?" It stared at me, slowly blinking.

"I don't know, the fact that you're like twenty feet tall, and I'm a weak human being?" I said sarcastically, attempting to inch backwards, but my body hit the Decepticon's dead frame.

The robot frowned, and I raised an eyebrow, my eyes skimming its face. "So, you're not gonna kill me?"

It shook its head, suddenly giving a laugh. It surprised me how much it acted like a human– maybe they weren't so different from us, after all. "Of course I won't fraggin' hurt you. Why would I take the trouble to risk my life to save _yours_ while I had the chance to let you die in the hands of the 'Cons?"

"I guess you're right," I said, pulling myself into a standing position. My hands grasped my side gently, and I huffed a sigh, closing my eyes. "Thank you," I said, reopening them. "You did save me– why would you do that, anyway?" Its blue eyes widened, as if surprised at my question.

"I'm an Autobot," it said, giving me a small smile. "My designation is Sideswipe. As an Autobot, I need to protect humans... I can't sit there and watch all of you get brutally murdered by the Decepticons. Not when the world has come to this…" He trailed off, eyes flickering to gaze at something in the distance. "I'm sorry this happened to your planet."

I shook my head, and bit my lip. Grief squeezed my heart, the thoughts of my family crossing my mind, but I forced them deep into the back of my head. "Where were you when this all started?" I asked hesitantly, my eyes falling onto his silver face. "I thought Autobots were the _good_ guys?"

He looked at me, shaking his head. A look of sadness crossed his face, and he frowned, his shoulder slumping slightly. "We _were_ the good guys. But, Cemetery Wind had taken its toll on me and my companions. When we managed to shut them down for good, we did get most of our human support back, but it was too late. This all started, and we had no time to react," he motioned to our surroundings. "There was no way of stopping it. We were completely outnumbered, defenseless, weak, afraid. Both humans and Decepticons had become our enemies, and with so few of us left, we went into hiding. Even though the humans needed our help, we had trouble forgiving what they, well, Cemetery Wind had done to us."

I expected a feeling of hatred out of Sideswipe's statement– the fact that he and the Autobots hid while the earth fell apart was a valid reason to be furious with him. But, I understood why they had been so afraid. What the human race had done to the Autobots was not right, alien or not, as they still had _feelings_ , just like any other person on the planet. "I'm sorry, I–"

"Forget about me," Sideswipe interrupted, standing up to wheel towards me. "How is your injury?"

I looked down to my shirt, lifting it up to reveal bandage wrapped around my stomach. "It hurts," I said, "but nothing I can't handle. Did you help patch me up?"

Sideswipe gave a small nod.

"Thank you," I said quietly. A silence followed, the two of us remaining still, not sure what to say. "Well," I said, clapping my hands together. "I should probably, you know, get my stuff together. I need to look for more supplies, keep on moving." I realized I still had my gun tightly grasped in my hand, and tucked it into the side of my pants.

Any fears of Sideswipe had been wiped away as I slowly walked past him, and towards the entrance to the house. I could feel his eyes trained on me– even as I slipped inside the house, I knew he was aware of my presence.

Grabbing the can of beans off of the coffee table, I walked over to the chair my bag was resting on. A small grin crossed my face– Sideswipe had taken it off my back while I was unconscious. _Who knows how the heck he got in here_ , I thought, giving a shrug. I placed the can into the bag, shoving the almost-empty water in it as well. I hurriedly ate the rest of the soup, and although it didn't completely satisfy my hunger, it was good enough. Better than nothing, at least.

I glanced out the window, to find Sideswipe standing at the edge of the driveway, looking in the distance. It was as if he was searching for something. _Someone_. As if sensing me staring at him, he quickly turned around, looking at me. I backed away, grabbing my belt off of a nearby table before I wrapped it around my waist, and headed out the front door.

"Well," I said, standing on the stone steps as Sideswipe wheeled over to me. "I guess I have to get going. Thanks for all your help," I paused, tossing his name around my mind, " _Sideswipe_." I hurried down the steps, weaving around his legs as I headed towards the road. Once again, he remained silent, but I could feel his eyes watching my every move. I turned onto the road to continue my trek, letting the sun of the late afternoon soak into my skin.

Then, I heard it.

Gears whirring loudly, hydraulics hissing and puffing, metal scraping loudly, all of it seemed to reverberate in my ears. Sideswipe had transformed, and the rev of his powerful engine echoed through the neighborhood, bouncing off the large houses and trees. I kept my head turned away from him, tried to ignore the sound of his tires squealing as he turned down the road. Headed towards _me_.

A flash of silver appeared in my peripheral vision; Sideswipe flew past me, only to quickly skid to a stop. His passenger door's window rolled down, exposing the dark interior of his cabin. " _Wait,_ " his voice sounded deeper, more electronic. I figured it came out of the radio.

"What is it?" I said, putting a hand on my hip as I halted, although I quickly pulled it away– any pressure on my waist stung.

" _You never told me your designation, er, your name,_ " he said.

I hadn't heard someone ask me that in a long time, as if it had been an eternity since those very words had been spoken. "I'm Braelyn," I replied steadily.

" _Well, Braelyn,_ " Sideswipe said, his door popping open, making me jump back. " _I want you to stay with me. I don't want anything bad to happen to you again…_ " He paused. " _Not with the world like this._ "

I stood still, gripping the straps of my bag tightly. My mind buzzed with thoughts of how much danger I would be put in if I stayed with him– he _was_ an enemy of the Decepticons. But, he was offering something to me I never thought I would have again. Something only my parents had given to me, until they were torn away from my life.

Protection.

"Okay," I whispered, more to myself than Sideswipe. " _Okay,_ " I said louder, straightening my back taller. "I'll go with you."

 **–––––**

 **Braelyn finally meets Sideswipe, woot woot! Sorry about all of the talking and if it's kind of slow, hopefully things will start to pick up the pace soon! Can't wait to hear your reviews :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	3. Recollection

**A/N: Holy moly! _Nine_ reviews on one chapter? You guys are amazing, if you keep it up, we'll reach fifty reviews in no time! Thanks to the reviewers: Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, The Silvernote, Starlit Storyteller, Blackrose3107, basecannon, Frellian, blaze424, Vodid, and CrimsonGallade! All of your reviews made me smile, I love seeing your thoughts and opinions on this story! Feedback is always helpful ;)**

 **I actually am really loving the idea of this story, so I wrote a new chapter as soon as I posted my previous one! The amount of support I got also urged me to write it faster, since I didn't want to keep any of you hanging. Although, I'll be gone next Friday at this summer-class thingy for five weeks, so I'll try to at least update this story every week or so. Hopefully before Friday I'll have one or two more chapters posted!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 3: Recollection**

 **–––––**

" _Who's ready for some waffles?" Mom called from the kitchen, her voice trailing into the living room. My head lifted from its spot on the couch, eyes flickering over to my father. He lifted his eyebrows in a teasing way, and I smirked, jumping up from my sitting position._

" _I'm gonna get them first!" I yelled, laughing as I ran out of the living room and into the bright kitchen. My eyes fell onto my mother as I skidded to a stop, almost running into my younger brother._

" _Hey, watch it," he said, glaring at me._

" _Aidan, can you not?" I asked, folding my arms lightly across my chest. My mother coughed, and I turned to look at her, giving her a sympathetic smile._

" _Braelyn, for heaven's sake, you're eighteen-years old. Please act your age. You just finished your first year of college!"_

 _I opened my mouth to respond, but gave an angry huff. Aidan stuck his tongue out at me, grabbing a plate from the nearby table. "I got here first, so I get waffles_ first. _May I have one, please?" He held up his plate, and Mom smiled, plopping a large waffle onto the porcelain surface. He walked away, chuckling as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table for four._

" _Can I have one,_ now _?" I pleaded, snatching a plate from the kitchen counter and holding it in front of my mother. She lifted an eyebrow, pushing a piece of her short, dark brown hair behind her ear._

" _Of course," she said, and I gave her a wide grin._

" _Thanks, Mom." I walked to go grab syrup from the fridge, but froze. Dad hadn't walked into the kitchen, and I was almost positive he heard Mom calling for breakfast._

" _Hey, Dad?" I said loudly, putting my plate down on the counter nearby as I headed towards the living room. I found him sitting on the leather couch, his body leaned forward, eyes glued onto the television screen. "Dad?" I repeated, walking towards him, and sat beside him. He placed a shaking finger to his lips, and lifted his arm upwards, a single finger pointing to the television. My eyes followed to where_ _he was pointing, falling onto a female reporter on the news._

" _...been a series of attacks recently in Washington D.C., the most recent one being at 5:40 am. Details have not been released, but we are certain there were…" The reporter paused, her eyes glancing past the camera, and nodded her head shortly thereafter. "There were Decepticons attacking the city. Many buildings have been destroyed, and there is a large death toll, somewhere possibly in the tens of thousands."_

 _I gasped loudly, my hand moving to cover my open mouth. Thousands of people dead? From an_ attack _? My mother had walked into the room, her hand gently touching my shoulder._

" _...advise everyone to stay indoors for now. Please report any suspicious activity, especially if it involves any automobiles. Police forces and SWAT teams are trying to track down the Decepticons responsible for the attacks, and we have special teams attempting to contact any nearby Autobots. Please, stay safe, and don't let your families out of your sight."_

 _The screen switched into a commercial, and I shook my head. This_ had _to be a nightmare. I glanced at my father, who stood up, his eyes moving to me, my mother, and then fell on me again._

" _Oh my God," Mom said, "we aren't that far from D.C., what do we do? Decepticons on the loose? I thought they were all dead, exterminated!"_

" _Well, they aren't," Dad replied, his hands tightly clenched into fists. The skin turned a pale-white color. "Let's just listen to the reporter. Stay inside, close the curtains, keep the lights off. We don't want to attract any of the Transformers, if they are passing by. I think–"_

" _Dad," I interrupted. "Over ten-thousand people were killed. The city is_ destroyed." _I paused, my eyes falling onto Aidan as he walked into the room, standing next to my mother. "There had to have been more than one-hundred Decepticons attacking the city to kill that many people. Shouldn't we try to help find the Autobots? They're the only ones strong enough to bring the attackers down!"_

" _They're dead," Aidan said quickly. "At least, that's what my friend told me. Either the government still thinks they're alive, or they are trying to make people hopeful."_

 _Mom opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced, as the distant sound of an explosion filled all of our ears._

 _It had begun._

 **–––––**

The sound of tires rolling on the road pulled me from my sleep, causing me to shift uncomfortably in my seat. I refused to open my eyes, wanting to fall back into the world of dreams, of nightmares, of silence and darkness.

 _Anything_ but this reality.

"Are _you awake?_ " Sideswipe's voice bounced off the walls of his interior, and I furrowed my eyebrows, groaning.

"Yes." I reluctantly opened my eyes, focusing on the dark leather of the chair I was laying on. I turned my head slightly, staring out of the window above. A light, orange color filled the sky, the darkness of night fading away as the sun began to rise above the horizon. It was early morning.

" _Do you want to sit up?_ " The simple question made me laugh out loud, and I could tell Sideswipe was confused by his response, " _Why are you laughing?_ "

"I'm not exactly sure," I replied, pulling my arms above my head as I stretched. "I guess the fact that I'm inside of an Autobot right now, with the ability to move my chair up and down, and all you ask is if I want to sit _up_."

As if teasing me, the top of my chair shot upwards, and I screeched, flailing my arms. I expected to slam into the dashboard, but my seatbelt tightened at the last second, causing me to suddenly stop.

I gasped for breath, my heart slamming in my chest. Pain flared in my side, and I gritted my teeth to keep from hissing out loud in pain. My lips curled into a frown as the car began to rumble, Sideswipe's laughter filling my ears.

"Very funny," I muttered. He immediately stopped, sensing that I wasn't amused.

" _Did I hurt you?_ " He asked. I could hear the caution in his voice.

I didn't want to lie to him, because I'm sure he would be able to tell I was in pain due to my reaction. "Yeah," I replied. I could feel him tense, if that's even possible, "but I'm totally fine now, my injury stopped hurting." Now _that_ was a lie.

" _Alright,_ " he said, sounding suspicious, but decided not to press the matter. " _I didn't mean to harm you._ " Another awkward pause. " _Did you, uh, sleep well?_ "

"Not really," I answered. My mind thought back to the dream I had, and although it certainly wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't a happy one either. All I could think of was one thing:

I _missed_ my family.

" _I'm sorry_ ," Sideswipe said, his voice suddenly lower, lacking emotion.

"It's okay," I said. "I haven't been able to sleep well since the day the world _decided_ to end. Ever since I…" I felt the tears pooling behind my eyelids, but I hurriedly blinked them away, sighing. I _couldn't_ let Sideswipe see my weaknesses, not when I've only just met him. "Lost my family."

The car was silent, and I wondered what Sideswipe was thinking. Did he feel sorry for me? Was he mad my world had been taken away from me, my _family_?

" _I have a brother,"_ he said, trying to change the subject. The four words struck me, deep in my heart, as I realized the one thing Sideswipe and I had in common.

"Well, where is your brother?" I asked. There certainly wasn't any other Autobot around, as far as I could tell from my surroundings.

" _I don't know_ ," he replied. I could hear the sadness laced into his voice, and I hesitantly touched his dashboard, as if this action could bring him comfort. " _His name is Sunstreaker– I like to call him Sunny, but he hates the nickname with a burning passion. We were together, until an attack from Cemetery Wind split us apart. I know he is still alive, I can feel him there, through our bond, but I can't communicate with him."_

"I wish you could," I whispered. I knew Sideswipe had heard it, as he gave a deep sigh, cool air flowing through his vents. He continued.

" _I was looking for him after Cemetery Wind was destroyed, but when I heard about the attack at Washington D.C., I chose to hide. It shocked me, as well as my fellow Autobots, that there were still so many Decepticons remaining on Earth."_

"Me too," I said, staring out of the window, watching as the scenery flashed by. "You know, I have a brother too... Well, maybe _had_." The image of Aidan appeared into my mind, light freckles settled upon his cheeks, dirty-blond hair framing his face. Sideswipe remained silent, waiting for me to keep going. "I don't know if he's still alive. We were separated when Decepticons attacked the place me and him were staying in. That's why I was alone when you found me."

" _What_ is _his name?_ " Sideswipe was still hopeful he was alive. The small gesture warmed my heart, and a smile crept across my lips.

"Aidan," I said. "He's two years younger than me– I'm eighteen."

" _I'll try my best to help you find him, then,_ " Sideswipe said. " _Sounds like he's really important to you._ "

My eyes widened, the offer to assist me in finding my brother sinking in. He wanted to _help_ me. "Yeah, I love him a lot. More than anything. I just hope he's still alive…" I trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Sideswipe."

The radio suddenly turned on, a song playing at low volume.

"H-How are you listening to the radio?" I blurted out, forgetting about anything we were previously talking about. "Aren't all of the radio stations down since, you know, the world _ended_?"

" _I have my ways_ ," Sideswipe replied, and I knew that if he could smirk, he would.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my stomach grumbled. I reached into my bag in the driver's seat, and pulled out the can of beans.

"Sideswipe?" I asked, a sudden thought popping into my mind. I pulled an old can opener out of the bag next, and quickly opened the can. I took a small sip of the almost-empty water bottle that sat in the cup holder, holding the beans in my lap. "I meant to ask you this earlier– how did you get me inside the house when I was unconscious?"

" _I used my holoform._ " Without giving any warning, the body of a boy, a little older than me, materialized out of thin air, sitting next to my bag. I screamed, the can of beans flying into the air, before splattering on the shirt of the boy. Horrified, I pushed myself against the door, as far away from him as possible, my heart slamming in my chest.

"Hang on just a minute," he said, disappearing in a flurry of blue sparks. I remained still, dumbfounded, before the boy magically appeared again, with no sign of beans anywhere on his body.

 _What_ the hell just happened?

He stared at me, running a hand through his silvery-blonde hair, laughing. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"What a-are you?" I asked, not daring to move my body.

"That's not very polite to ask someone 'What are you?'," he replied, a smirk crossing his face. "Well, my name is _Sideswipe_ , and I'm almost positive you've met me already."

I stared at his eyes, their bright, electric-blue color sending a wave of comfort and familiarity through me. He wasn't lying– his body shape and face resembled the silver robot as if they were somehow blood relatives. "Is this your holoform?" I asked.

He nodded, reaching out a hand to me. My eyes fell to it, and I looked at his fingers, hovering in the air. He seemed so _real_. "Go on, touch my hand." I pulled my arm away from my body, and extended it towards his, my fingers skimming over his skin. "Pretty realistic, huh?"

"Yeah," I said. "I haven't seen a human in a long time." I realized I still had my hand on his and I quickly yanked it away, warmth creeping across my cheeks. My stomach grumbled once more, and I blushed even deeper, sitting forwards in my seat, my body relaxing from its tensed position.

"You need food, don't you?"

I simply nodded, closing my eyes. "I kinda screwed up by throwing my beans at you. Where are we, anyways?"

"We're still in North Carolina," Sideswipe replied. I opened my eyes, watching as the car began to head towards the nearest exit of the highway. "I'll bring you to someplace where you can find food."

"Stay away from the main parts of towns," I said, biting my lip. "There's probably a lot of people there, who are willing to kill _anyone_. Plus, I'm sure the stores are mostly looted."

"So, I should try to bring you to a neighborhood?" Sideswipe asked, his holoform looking at me.

"Sounds good to me," I said, sitting up in the seat, my mind wondering what this new day would bring.

 **–––––**

Sideswipe cruised to a stop, having pulled into an empty driveway in a deserted neighborhood we found. The music turned off, and the doors clicked, the passenger door swinging open by itself. I froze, startled, as I was still not very used to the _strange_ action of doors opening on their own. Slowly, I climbed out of the Corvette, careful not to aggravate my injury, my legs tingling like I hadn't stood for weeks.

"Mmm," I mumbled, sighing as my knees gave a satisfying pop. I stretched my arms and rolled my neck, giving a small smile. "It's such a great feeling to _finally_ be free from sitting for a long period of time!"

Sideswipe transformed, being careful not to squish me in the process. He stretched his arms and legs like I did, sighing happily as well. "I can agree with you on that. It's not that enjoyable to be stuck in my alt form." His head pointed downwards to look at me, his blue eyes dimming and brightening.

"You okay?" I asked, a frown settling across my face.

"I need to recharge," he replied, turning his body to scan the surrounding houses.

"Alright," I said, grabbing the straps on my backpack. "I'll look for supplies, and you can recharge, whatever that means. Okay?" _He really looks like he needs to rest_ , I thought, noticing the way he carried his form, as if he was about to tip over from exhaustion.

Sideswipe faced me once again, concern washing over his face. I could see doubt in the way that he looked at me. "Are you sure that's okay? What if something happens to you?"

I shook my head. "I'll be fine, that's why I have this." I pulled out my handgun from the waistband of my jeans, smirking. "If I need some help, I'll holler."

This seemed to lessen his concern, as he gave a small nod. "Be careful," he said, before transforming once again, the silver Corvette remaining silent as it settled.

I held my gun steadily in my hand, quietly heading to the front door of the nearest house. The door was unlocked, and I slowly creaked it open, holding my gun in front of me, eyes scanning for any sudden movement.

As I slipped inside, I failed to notice the pair of eyes watching me from the house next door.

 **–––––**

 **Who doesn't love some good ole' conversation between Braelyn and Sideswipe? Slowly, their relationship will be building up to more than just acquaintances. Sorry about the little cliffie, I promise things will start to make sense in the next chapter, and we'll finally have some more action! Stay tuned for the next update, and please leave a review with your thoughts or predictions!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	4. New Encounters

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back from my summer camp! Sorry for not updating at all, I was very busy during the five weeks away from home! But, I'm back, and I'll try my best to update this story weekly!**

 **As for "Fix You Heart", I think I'm not going to keep it. I have no interest in it, don't really see where the plot is going, and would rather focus on this story and "I Can't Lose You". I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking forward to that story progressing!**

 **Anyways, I would love to thank Starlit Storyteller, CrimsonGallade, The Silvernote, Frellian, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, BIackrose13, Guest, and Edges05 for leaving reviews! They all made me so happy, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

 **I tried to include a tiny bit of fluff in this chapter. I'm trying not to rush Sides and Braelyn's relationship, so bear with me!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 4: New Encounters**

 **–––––**

My hands gripped the cool metal of the cabinet handle, internally praying there would be something edible behind it. I pulled, the small door swinging open, my eyes widening as they fell onto a tiny assortment of food.

"Yes!" I squealed, reaching inside the wooden cabinet and pulled out the five cans, as well as some packs of crackers, and two granola bars. I had already checked all of the other cabinets in the large kitchen– they had been empty besides various kitchen utensils.

Stuffing my new supplies into my bag, I zipped it shut, walking over to the refrigerator. Pulling it open, I hurriedly plugged my nose, nausea creeping into my stomach as the smell of spoiled milk filled my nostrils. Inside, there were many fruits, vegetables, and dairy items, although most of them were growing mold. I fought the urge to vomit, quickly scanning for any signs of water, before slamming the door shut.

 _Well, at least I was somewhat successful_ , I thought, pulling the second strap of my backpack over my shoulder. I glanced through a nearby kitchen window, watching Sideswipe's resting form on the driveway. Walking through the living room and into an adjacent hallway, I slipped out of the back door, not wanting to wake up the Autobot out front. I crept through the overgrown grass of the lawn, heading towards the house next to the one I was just looting.

 _Looting,_ I thought. Never in a million years would I think I would be stealing from someone _._ Then again, is it called stealing if the world has fallen apart? I shrugged, making my way onto the front steps of the smaller house. The tan panelling glowed brightly in the morning sun, soft shadows casted from large bushes planted around the steps.

What had happened to the people who lived here?

I grabbed the handle of my gun, pulling it out of its holster. Slowly, my hand reached forward to grasp the handle of the door, turning it. It remained locked, and I frowned, jerking it harder, although it didn't budge. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a paper clip, smirking to myself as I began to pick the lock. After a few minutes, I heard a satisfying click and I opened the door, my gun pointed in front of me.

No one was there.

I slowly crept inside, my eyes flickering for any movement. Shutting the door, I took in my surroundings, spotting what appeared to be a kitchen down a short hallway. I smiled, and began to walk towards it, my boots clicking against the floor, sending echoes throughout the house.

 _Creakkk_. I froze, my breath stilling, tightening the grip on my gun. I heard a sharp intake of air behind me, the sound of movement.

"Don't. Move." A woman's voice came from behind me, sending a chill down my spine. I heard the noticeable click of her gun, knowing it was trained on the back of my head. My heart thumped loudly in my ears, and a sweat broke out across my forehead.

I didn't move.

"Now, drop the gun," a man now said, stepping from within the kitchen, only feet away from me. My eyes widened as I took in his appearance.

He seemed to be in his thirties, stubbles of dark hair growing on his chin. His eyes were dark and sullen, _nothing_ like the comforting, bright blue ones belonging to Sideswipe. He wore ripped, loose clothes, covered with grime and dirt, a pistol held in his hand. "Are you deaf?" He hissed, "drop the damn gun!"

I released the weapon from my trembling hand, allowed it to clatter loudly onto the wooden floor. I kicked it over to the man and he picked it up, a smirk crossing his face.

"Jess, get her over here," he muttered, before turning to walk away into the kitchen. I felt two, rough hands grab my shoulders, shoving me forward.

"Get _off_ me!" I hissed, turning around to glare at the woman.

Her eyes widened, before she raised her hand, striking me across the face. I cried out as red-hot pain seared across the right side of my face, my eyes watering as I stumbled backwards. "How do you like that, huh?!" She yelled, shoving me closer to the kitchen. I fell onto the floor, more pain flaring up in my side.

"Alright, stop playing around," the man said, clearly annoyed. He shot the woman a glare, then looked at me. "Get up, and go sit in that chair." He pointed to a chair at the kitchen table, and I shakily pulled myself up, hurrying to sit in the chair.

"Why are you doing this?" I said, my lip quivering. "I didn't do anything to harm either of you!"

"Then explain the car," the man said, his eyebrows furrowing in anger.

I froze. "M-My car?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call it your car," Jess said, throwing her head back as she laughed. She walked over to me, and I leaned away from her, terrified she would hit me once more. Instead, she took some pieces of rope out of her pocket, forcing my arm against the chair as she wrapped the thick material around my wrist. She did the same to my other arm, and I remained still, my body trembling. "You have a Decepticon with you," she whispered in my ear, before striding to stand next to the man. "Right, Dan?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Right, what?"

"That smart-ass girl brought a Decepticon right to us, didn't she?"

"Oh," Dan said, "yes she did. Now, if you tell us _why_ , everything will be fine and dandy. But, if you refuse, you don't want to know what'll happen."

"He's not a Decepticon!" I yelled, gritting my teeth angrily.

"Oh, so you admit to having a Transformer with you?" Jess asked, smirking.

"Yes!" I cried. "But he isn't a Decepticon! Look, if you'll just let me bring you to him, you'll see-"

"Enough!" Dan bellowed, making me shrink back in my seat. "What makes us believe any of the pathetic words coming out of your mouth? You're just trying to round us up to bring us to Headquarters, aren't you?" He spat.

"Headquarters?" I shook my head, trying to show them that I had absolutely no clue what that was. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," Jess hissed sarcastically. "Well, Honey, this girl isn't very willing to cooperate with us. Big mistake on her part."

Dan nodded, placing my gun onto the counter next to him, adjusting the pistol he previously had in his hand. "She'll find out soon what it means to mess with us."

"Look!" I practically screamed. "You have it all _wrong_! I'm starving, looking for food, and just happened to come across you guys when searching in this house! I promise you I had no idea you were here, so I'm sorry to have bothered you, but–"

"She's really pissing me off," Jess said, spinning her gun around on her finger, eyes rolling. She reached in a drawer and pulled out scissors and silver duct tape, cutting a piece off just big enough to cover my mouth.

Oh _no_.

"Sideswipe!" I screamed, flailing in my chair. The woman approached me, holding the piece of duct tape near my mouth. I spat in her face, screaming once more. "Sideswipe! Help me!"

Jess gasped, wiping the spit off of her face. "That's _it_ ," she hissed, slapping the duct tape over my mouth. "Too bad your friend won't be able to hear your screams, especially in a time like _this_." She brought her hand up once more, and I closed my eyes, preparing for the impact.

" _Braelyn!_ " A voice came from down the hallway, and I opened my eyes, watching as Sideswipe's holoform hurried into the kitchen. His eyes widened as they fell on me, before they narrowed, shifting from the woman to the man. "Let her _go_."

"Oh, who's this?" Jess asked, letting out a hysterical laugh.

"You don't need to know," Sideswipe replied. "All I'm asking is for you release her. If you don't, there _may_ be some complications."

"Like what?" Dan chuckled. "Two against one? You don't even have a weapon."

Before Dan could aim his gun, Sideswipe shot forwards, slamming the man into the kitchen cabinets. They fell to the floor, and I screamed, my voice muffled behind the duct tape covering my mouth. Jess stood in shock, watching as Sideswipe's legs wrapped around the man's torso, preventing him from moving. He punched Dan in the face, growling lowly as he threw another, causing the man's nose to start to bleed.

"Daniel!" Jess cried, shakily raising her gun.

My eyes widened, realizing she was going to shoot Sideswipe, before I swung my leg out, knocking her feet from under her. She screamed, her gun flying into the air, before her head slammed onto the wooden floor.

She was knocked out cold.

My eyes fell onto Sideswipe as he stood up, hands shaking angrily, before he turned to look at me.

"Primus, Braelyn," he said, running over to me. I squirmed in the chair, tears clouding my vision, my breaths shaky as he crouched, slowly tearing off the duct tape from my mouth. "What did they do to you?"

I bit my numb lip, too shaken up to speak. Sideswipe frowned, glancing at the ropes wrapped around my wrists, before he hurriedly untied them. I remained still, staring at the ground, speechless.

"Braelyn?" I looked up, to find Sideswipe's electric-blue eyes softly staring at me. A few stray tears fell down my cheeks and I shook my head, choking back a sob.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. My bottom lip quivered, more tears blinding me. "I... I said I'd be okay. But this, this _happened_." Without thinking, I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, letting out a sob. I hadn't had human comfort like this in so long, the feeling almost _unfamiliar_ as Sideswipe hesitantly wrapped his arms around my back.

"Shhh, it's okay," he said, his voice becoming even softer. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and I leaned into the embrace, wishing he would never let go.

But he did.

He unwrapped his arms from around my back, giving a large sigh. "Can you tell me what happened?"

I gave a small nod, wiping the tears from my cheeks, my right one throbbing in the process.

"I... I was walking into the house when someone behind me told me to stay still. Then, the man appeared from the kitchen, and made me give up my gun. The woman shoved me forward, and I told her to stop, and she slapped me," I paused, grunting in pain as Sideswipe brushed his finger across my injured cheek.

"You already have a bruise," he muttered, turning his head sideways to look at the unconscious woman, her body sprawled across the floor. "You did this to her?"

I nodded, "Yeah, she was pointing her gun at you, so I kicked her feet out from underneath her." Giving a small laugh, I shook my head at her lack of intelligence. "Although, she probably should've tied my legs to the chair. She was only concerned about my arms."

"I was deep in recharge, when I heard your voice in the back of my processor." The confused look on my face spoke for itself, as he elaborated, "My mind. I quickly onlined, and heard you screaming my name, so I knew something was wrong. I thought another Decepticon found you, until I tracked your voice coming from a nearby house."

"Well, good thing you found me," I said, giving him a small smile. "I thought I was going to die today, Sideswipe."

"I'm not going to let that happen," he said, helping me stand out of my chair. He glanced around the kitchen, and stepped around the woman's body, picking up the gun she left on the floor. "Take this," he handed it to me, and I stuffed it inside my bag. He walked to the counter and grabbed my gun, tossing it to me. I placed it inside the holster on my belt, and gave it a pat, a grin forming across my lips.

My eyes fell onto Dan's unconscious body on the floor, blood smeared across his face. "What should we do with them?" I asked, motioning to the two bodies on the floor.

"Just leave them," Sideswipe said. He grabbed Dan's gun from the floor, tucking it into his pants. "They'll be weaponless and foodless," he opened one of the kitchen cabinets, "but think of it as a punishment for what they did to you.

Inside were only a few cans, and a single mini-water bottle. "They don't have a lot," I said, frowning as we opened a few more cabinets, only to come across glasses and plates. I grabbed the cans and water bottle, before shoving them into my backpack, grunting at the added weight.

"Let's get going," Sideswipe said, stepping over Dan's unconscious form and into the hallway. He turned back to look at me, waiting as I made my way out of the kitchen, and passed him.

I walked out of the front door, and turned to stare at the holoform as he closed it. "What should we do now?"

"I don't want to stay here," Sideswipe replied. "It's too dangerous having these freaks nearby." He began to head towards the Corvette, and I followed, grabbing the straps of my backpack. His holoform disappeared in a shimmer of sparks, making me jump, before the engine rumbled to life, and I walked over to the passenger's side.

The door popped open, and I slid inside, sighing as I let my heavy bag hit the floor of the car. "Well," I said, grabbing my seatbelt as Sideswipe began to back out of the driveway, "that was both a successful and scary trip."

" _You could've died_ ," Sideswipe's muttered over the radio. " _I knew I shouldn't have recharged when you went to get supplies._ "

I shook my head. "No, this isn't your fault. We were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

A moment of silence stretched, and my mind wandered to the possibility of me losing my life. I could be with my mother and father, and maybe even Aidan, somewhere peaceful that no Decepticon would ever be able to find. But, I didn't want to leave this planet.

Not yet.

"Sideswipe?" I asked. I assumed since there was no reply, he was waiting for me to talk. "Do you think that most people have become like that man and woman back there? You know, ready to kill to survive?"

" _No_ ," his steady voice replied. " _You've already shown me that there is still some good left in the world. I'm sure there's remaining humans that are kind, but some have just turned to their survival modes to stay alive_."

A warmth spread through me at his compliment, and a small smile crept across my lips. I hummed in agreement, and leaned back into my seat, closing my eyes. There was still a slight throbbing sensation in my cheek, and I touched my fingers gingerly to the bruised skin.

" _You alright?_ " Sideswipe asked, startling me. My eyes snapped open, and I lifted my hand away from my cheek, staring at the radio.

"I'm fine. My cheek hurts a little bit, but I think I'll survive," I said sarcastically. "Thanks again for saving me today, Sideswipe."

" _It's no problem,_ " he replied.

I turned my head to look out the window, pulling my knees to my chest. Trees flashed by as Sideswipe picked up speed on the ramp to a highway, and I sighed heavily. Letting my eyelids slip downwards, I allowed sleep to pull me into darkness once more.

 **–––––**

 **I really enjoyed writing the scene with Dan and Jess! Hope you all thought it was intense ;)**

 **Please tell me your thoughts and opinions so far! Also, if you have any predictions, let me know! I wanna see what you guys think will happen next.**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	5. Remember

**A/N: I just got back from a little family vacation I went on, and I went to New York City for the first time! I also saw the broadway show 'Wicked', it was so amazing! School is also starting up soon, so I'll try to update as much as I can despite the amount of homework I'll be getting.**

 **Thanks my lovely reviewers: Starlit Storyteller, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, jgoss, Edges05, Alice Gone Madd, The Silvernote, CrimsonGallade, and Marisakey**

 **Alice Gone Madd brought up something I would like to address. She said how this story reminded her of The Walking Dead. I actually got inspiration from that show for this story (if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it, it's the best!), so imagine the world in this story kinda like TWD, minus the zombies, of course!**

 **Also, this'll be explained more once the story progresses, but many people across the world are dead, due to the Decepticons killing as many humans as they can find. Just wanted to let you know that coming across humans will be pretty rare in this, so for a while I'm just gonna focus on Braelyn and Sideswipe's growing relationship. Hope that makes sense!**

 **Now, enjoy the chapter! It's the longest one in the story so far.**

 **–––––  
Chapter 5: Remember  
–––––**

I was abruptly jolted awake by the sharp sound of a heavy door sliding open, the high-pitched squealing noise making me cringe as I slowly blinked. My mouth widened in a yawn, and I stretched my legs, making a slight groaning sound as I rubbed my eyes.

"I see you're finally awake," Sideswipe's holoform materialized, making me yelp in surprise. He chuckled at my reaction, his blue eyes watching me carefully as I sat up in the passenger seat.

"Good morning to you, too," I muttered sarcastically, turning my head to gaze out of the tinted window. "Mind telling me where we are?"

Sideswipe's engine rumbled deeply, the car rolling forward at a slow pace. "I found an abandoned warehouse."

I raised my eyebrow at him, and he shook his head, giving me a mischievous smirk.

"Don't worry, I checked it out before while you were sleeping. Nothing dangerous in here," he said, and I gave a small nod.

The bright light from the outdoors began to fade into darkness as Sideswipe drove deeper into the building, dark shadows making the abandoned space more intimidating than it should have been. Large machinery and tools were scattered throughout the warehouse, the thick dust visible from my spot in Sideswipe's cabin.

The Corvette cruised to a stop, and Sideswipe cleared his throat, catching my attention as I turned to look at him.

"I'm going to recharge for a little bit. Stay in or around the warehouse, and yell if you need me," he said, before the holoform vanished out of thin air.

I pulled on the handle to the door, jumping back as it swung out with no effort. Grabbing my backpack from the floor of the car, I heaved it onto my back, closing the silver door. My eyes scanned for a spot for me to sit, and I settled on a corner filled with soft light from a large window along the wall.

As I slid against the wall, my knees gave out, and I let my body fall to the floor with a thud. Letting out a deep breath, I unzipped my backpack, grabbing an opened water bottle before taking a small sip from it. My head leaned against the wall and I strained my neck to stare at the ceiling, squeezing the plastic bottle within my grasp absentmindedly. My mind began to drift into dangerous territory, memories I wanted to forget, but I know I never would have the chance to. I clenched my teeth as images of my mother and father flashed across my mind, their smiling faces distorted and blurry.

I tried to reach out to them, closing my eyes, but they grew distant, a thick fog crawling into the darkness of my mind. Quickly opening my eyes, I sat up, looking around in fear as my hand instinctively went for my gun resting on my belt.

 _Nothing's here, Braelyn,_ I reassured myself, lightening my tight grip on my weapon. My gaze settled on Sideswipe, and I tilted my head curiously at the silver Corvette. _I wonder what his story is,_ I thought, taking another sip of my water.

A smile began to creep across my lips as I continued to stare at the Autobot's resting form, although it quickly disappeared as I hissed in pain. Cautiously, I brought a hand to my face, wincing as it stung when I touched the spot where I had been slapped. My cheekbone ached, and I closed my eyes once more, wishing for all of the problems in the world to wash away.

 **–––––**

" _Braelyn, get in here quick!" Kayla's voice drifted from the hallway, and I stared intently at the microwave, tapping my foot in lack of patience._

" _I'll be there in a sec!" I called back, giving a sigh of relief as the timer beeped and I popped open the little door. The sweet smell of popcorn wafted through the air, and I grabbed the bag, throwing it onto the counter before it could burn my hands._

" _But the movie is about to start!" Kayla complained, and I heard another person mutter something to her._

" _Why don't you just pause it?"_

" _Because the remote is too far away!"_

" _Seriously, Kayla?"_

 _I chuckled at my friends bantering, ripping open the bag of popcorn before pouring it into a large plastic bowl. I tossed the bag into the trash, before hurrying down the hallway, turning into a dark room illuminated by a television._

 _"I see you paused it?" I said, wiggling my eyebrows sarcastically at Kayla as I sat myself between her and my other friend, Sophie._

 _Kayla looked excitedly at the popcorn, grabbing a handful and stuffing her face. "Just for you," she said, her voice muffled as popcorn tumbled out of her mouth and onto the floor. A few moments later, she swallowed, smirking at me as she picked up the pieces that had fallen out of her mouth. "Actually, good ole' Soph paused it it for me."_

 _I rolled my eyes, turning to look at a clearly annoyed Sophie, hands folded across her chest. "Thank you for the credit, Kayla," she said, and I burst into a fit of laughter. Sophie grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and plopped them into her mouth, chuckling lightly as I nudged her._

 _"Wanna start it now?"_

 _"Password?" Sophie asked, twirling the remote in her hands, raising an eyebrow at me in a teasing way._

 _I turned, mustering the ability to try not to laugh as I pursed my lips, my eyebrows tensing. "Please?" I asked in my best baby voice, and the blonde bit her lip, revealing a wide smile as she burst into laughter._

 _"Can we start already?" Kayla reached across me, snatching the remote from Sophie's fingers. She clicked the play button, and we grew silent, the opening scene of "Legally Blonde" appearing on the screen of the large television. I dug my hand into the popcorn bowl, pulling out a satisfying amount, before I slowly picked at the pile in my hands._

 _I turned to look at my friends, a soft smile appearing on my lips as their eyes were hooked on the screen. Sophie twirled her finger around her long, blonde locks, something she always did to stay focused. Kayla pulled a gray blanket around her body, snuggling further into the couch._

 _Looking back at the screen, I gave a happy sigh, letting out all of my worries of school and sports as the voice of Elle Woods entered my ears._

 _Tonight was going to be a good night._

 _(Time skip to later that night)_

 _I clicked the screen off, stretching my arms and legs. My arm hit something solid, and I looked to my left, the sleeping form of Sophie next to me, her mouth slightly open._

" _Can that girl ever last through an entire movie without falling asleep?" A voice drifted from under the blanket next to me. After it moved for a few seconds, Kayla's head popped out from beneath the surface, her black hair a complete mess as she threw the blanket off of herself._

" _I'm not sure. It definitely didn't happen tonight," I said, motioning to the blonde._

" _True that," Kayla said, standing up. "I guess the little brat we call Sophie took up the couch, so…" she trailed off, wandering to a chair that her duffle bag sat on. She unzipped it, pulling out a green sleeping bag. "Would you like to join me on the floor? Best spot in the house by far."_

" _Sure," I chuckled, before walking to the closet. I pulled out a few more blankets and two spare pillows, tossing one in the direction of Kayla. I heard a quiet "thank you" before I closed the doors, heading over to the spot where my best friend was unrolling her sleeping bag._

" _Need help?" I asked, letting my blankets fall to the floor before I jumped in them, burying myself deep into the soft fabrics._

" _Nah, I got it," Kayla replied. She grabbed the pillow, positioning it at the head of her sleeping bag, before she went to turn off the light. As the room went black, I blinked repeatedly, trying to make out shapes in the darkness. I heard Kayla shuffling around the floor, before there was a loud thump, and a hiss of pain as she fell onto her sleeping bag._

" _Forgot there was a table there?" I asked, trying to hold back my laughter, but failing nonetheless._

" _Uh-huh," Kayla said, groaning. "Shit, I thought I knew your house better. How many times have I been here?"_

" _Too many to count," I sighed, leaning my head back on my pillow. "Thanks for coming over tonight, Kayla."_

" _You kinda forced me to, you know, with the threatening text saying 'get your butt over here since Soph is spending the night', so I didn't have an option, but I guess you're welcome," Kayla replied._

 _I looked up at the ceiling, stretching my arms and legs as far as they could go. "How's Brandon?"_

 _Kayla unzipped her sleeping bag, snuggling into the warm material, before I heard the ruffling of her pillow. "He's good. You know, a typical boyfriend."_

" _Is he a keeper?" I asked, turning my body to look at my friend in the darkness._

 _Kayla pushed a few strands of her short hair away from her face, her eyes gazing at me softly. "We'll see," she replied, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Speaking of boys, when will you ever get a boyfriend?"_

" _I don't know," I said. "All the boys at school are assholes or taken by other girls, know what I mean?"_

" _Braelyn," Kayla whispered, and I felt her hand give mine a gentle squeeze. "I know a lot of guys act like idiots, and that they don't care about other people, but some of them just need some encouragement to open up." She paused, and adjusted her position in the sleeping bag. "Brandon seemed like a jerk when I met him. But, I gave him a chance, and I learned a lot of things about him I never would have known."_

" _I know, it's just–"_

" _No, you don't know," Kayla interrupted. "You're a very pretty girl, Brae. I'm sure any guy would love to go out with you. You're just a little shy."_

" _I'm not shy," I said, and Kayla snorted._

" _Not shy? Who was the one that hid behind me when a hot guy approached us the other day? Who is too scared to order pizza on the phone?" Kayla chuckled, and somehow tapped my nose despite the darkness. "But, that's what makes you unique, and my favorite little friend to mess around with."_ _ **  
**_ _  
"I guess you have a point," I said. "About me being super shy." Remaining silent, I tugged the blankets tighter around me, giving a large sigh. I could tell from Kayla's steady breathing she had already fallen asleep, that girl was quite the something else._

 _"Goodnight," I whispered, resting my head on my arm underneath the pillow, my eyelids slowly shutting._

 **–––––**

The memory began to fade, Kayla and Sophie's voices becoming more silent as the seconds ticked by. Once again, I was alone in the darkness of my mind, on the verge of slumber and waking.

Sounds began to sneak into my consciousness, like voices of people quietly talking. They would appear for a few seconds and vanish, until moments later they would reappear. I urged myself to wake up, the voices becoming louder and more apparent.

Fingers moved, before my arm, then my whole body followed. My eyes snapped open, blinking quickly to get rid of my tiredness as I looked around. Something crunched loudly, and I crawled to a nearby piece of machinery, the unknown sound making my heart start to pound more heavily. I grabbed my gun, a finger hovering over the trigger.

"Olivia?" A voice said, sounding distinctly male, laced with a thick, southern accent.

"What is it, Jack?" A hushed response sounded from close to the previous voice.

"Look. Over there. It's in the shadows, but it looks like there's a car in here." The shuffling of clothing indicated he was pointing at something, and my head turned to look at the Corvette sitting quietly at least fifty feet away.

"A car? Could it possibly have gas?" Olivia responded.

Oh _no_.

"Let's check," Jack said, and I got onto my feet, remaining in a crouched position as I peeked my head over the machinery. My eyes fell onto the man and woman walking towards Sideswipe, their pace slow as they glanced around, guns raised in their hands.

As they approached Sideswipe, Olivia stopped, shifting her weight uneasily. "Jack," she said, this time more quietly. She took a few steps back, grabbing his hand.

"What's wrong?" He asked, staring at her fearful face with concern.

"This car is so nice... You know, it's a Corvette. But don't you think it's a bit odd that a car like this, is sitting in here, clean despite what's happened? It could be," she paused, backing up a few more steps, this time quicker. "It could be a Decepticon."

Jack raised an eyebrow, before glancing back to the car. "You could be right, I wasn't even thinking," he said. "Let's get out of here."

I ducked back behind the machinery as I heard them break out into a run, the sound of their footsteps fading as they went out the door me and Sideswipe had come through.

Jumping up, I sprinted to the door, hiding my body behind it as I peeked out. A car door slammed, and my eyes fell onto an old SUV as it drove off, speeding down the road.

Slowly backing up from the door, I turned around, putting my gun back in my belt.

Should I have said something? Tried to offer them food? They did look thin and dirty, probably having traveled from far away, thinking this abandoned factory could serve as a safe place to stay until they saw Sideswipe.

Before I could stop myself, I ran into something hard, my body beginning to fall as I stumbled. I let out a yelp of fright, preparing to hit the floor until strong arms wrapped around my torso to catch me.

I looked up, my eyes widening as they fell onto bright blue ones, gazing at me with worry.

"You alright?"

It was Sideswipe's holoform. I blinked a few times, dumbfounded as I was so close to him, I could feel his warm breath on my face. My cheeks heated in embarrassment, and I looked away from his gaze, still feeling his eyes trained on me.

"Braelyn," he said.

"Huh?" I snapped out of it, flickering my eyes back to look at him.

"I asked if you were okay?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm fine, t-thanks for catching me." His arms finally released me, and I took a step back, scratching the back of my neck in an attempt to distract myself.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he said. He too was blushing softly, and he clasped his hands around his back.

"It's fine. Did you, uh, see those two people that were here a few minutes ago?"

Sideswipe nodded. "I meant to wake you from your sleep when I sensed them nearby, but I didn't have the time to do so without being spotted."

"How long have you been awake?" I asked.

"About ten minutes before they arrived. I heard their vehicle approaching, and was worried it had been a Decepticon until I didn't sense a spark signature from it," Sideswipe replied.

"I see," I said. I began to walk towards the doors once more, wanting to be outside. "Twice people have thought you were a Decepticon. Why is that?"

Sideswipe jogged so he was next to me, shoving his hands inside his jean pockets. "It could be because the color of my plating is one similar to a Decepticon, as many of them are dark shades of gray or black. Or, the appearance of my alt form is suspiciously nice compared to most cars today."

"Makes sense," I said, stepping out of the large doors and onto grass. Stopping, I took a large breath, closing my eyes as I soaked in the warmth of the afternoon North Carolina sun.

"Braelyn?" Sideswipe's voice came from my right, and I flickered my eyes open, turning to look at him.

"Yeah?" I asked, biting my lip nervously as I saw the uneasy look on his face.

"May I ask, how did you lose your brother?"

"Well," I said, not wanting to remember the past, but I did so anyway. Sitting down onto the soft grass, I rested my palms on the ground, leaning my body back.

Sideswipe sat down as well, pulling his legs close to his body as he sat upright, glancing at our surroundings.

"It happened a few weeks ago. Aidan and I were with each other from the start, fortunately we hadn't run into any Decepticons or other people. Also, we didn't have trouble finding supplies, as many people in our area had been killed, so there wasn't much to... Well, fight over." I paused, feeling tears threatening to spill.

"We were walking down the road. And, all of a sudden, we heard this loud engine, and saw a car rapidly approaching. It then transformed, as it was a Decepticon, and began to chase us."

Sideswipe reached over and took my hand, and I realized I had started crying. A deep frown had settled across his face, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Aidan, being the brave little brother he was, told me to keep running and took off in another direction from me, heading towards a forest. The Decepticon averted it's attention from me and to him, chasing after my brother. And there was nothing, _nothing_ I could do to save him. Instead, I kept running, just like he told me to." I was now sobbing, the words tumbling out of my mouth as anger consumed me.

"Aidan saved my life. And I don't know if he is even alive, or where he is. I _failed_ him. I failed my parents, who asked me to look after my brother should anything bad happen. I spent days looking for him, but couldn't find a single trace. He was gone."

Sideswipe squeezed my hand, and I could see sadness and guilt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Those fragging 'Cons are gonna pay, I'll tell you what. We'll find your brother."

"Thanks, Sideswipe. It really means a lot. I also hope we find your brother," I muttered.

Sideswipe nodded, giving me a small smile. "Me too."

My fingers reached into my pocket, digging out something hard and solid. "Look," I said, handing the holoform the object. "My brother gave that to me for my eighteenth birthday."

It was a rock in the shape of a heart. The edges were rough to the touch, and the stone was a faded, light gray. Sideswipe turned it over his hands, running his thumb over the surface.

"It's very nice," he said, handing the rock back to me.

"Yeah," I said, my hand enclosing around it in a protective way. I squeezed, feeling the coolness of the rock seep into my skin, somehow relaxing me. I looked back into the distance, my mind wandering to my brother.

I was going to find him.

 **–––––**

 **We get a little peek into Braelyn's past, as well as a _tiny_ bit of fluff between our two main characters! Any thoughts about Kayla and Sophie, and if you think they are still alive? Leave a review, I love to see your guy's opinions and predictions! They brighten my day.**

 **Also, if you ever want to chat feel free to PM me. I love getting to know you guys more, and share my love of Transformers with you!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	6. Golden Globe

***Screams* Guess who's back? It's been so long, and I can't apologize enough for my absence. Balancing school and my life has been tricky, and in the midst I've had barely any time for writing. But, I finally got a chapter out for you guys, and I'm pretty happy with how it came out!**

 **I know it's a day late, but Merry Christmas! To those who don't celebrate it, happy holidays! 2017 is just around the corner, and I'm looking forward to see what the new year brings. Hopefully more time to write (haha maybe).**

 **Thanks my lovely reviewers: Starlit Storyteller, The Silvernote, Edges05, jgoss, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, Guest, and SunnySidesFemme! Your reviews make my day and make me want to improve my writing to bring you guys the best-quality story.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 6: Golden Globe**

 **–––––**

Sideswipe and I spent most of the remaining afternoon telling stories of our pasts and recounting memories from when we were younger. Mine were mostly fun times centered around family and friends, while Sideswipe told of his life on Cybertron, the planet he came from, as well as his twin brother, Sunstreaker. I found it fascinating that they were split-spark brothers, meaning that if one happened to offline, the other would too.

The thought of it terrified me.

It was one of the best days I had in a long time. Even before I had been separated from Aidan, we had mostly remained quiet on our journey, silently hoping the other wouldn't bring up our lives prior to the world ending.

But, with Sideswipe, I was slowly becoming more comfortable around him. He seemed like an overall nice and confident individual, but I caught glimpses of his goofy side, especially when he was telling me stories of him and his brother pranking the other Autobots on Cybertron. I felt like I actually had a meaning and sense of purpose when I was around him, as he showed me that caring people still exist despite all the negative influences lurking in our devastated world.

"So," Sideswipe began, his eyes watching the sun disappearing over the tops of the trees, "did you have a nice rest this morning?" He turned his head to look at me, bright, aqua-blue eyes full of curiosity.

"I actually did," I replied, shoving the granola bar wrapper in my hand into the backpack resting against my leg. "I dreamed of a time when my close friends Kayla and Sophie slept over, and we watched a movie." The thought of them made my heart clench in sadness, a chill settling across my body. I shivered, turning down Sideswipe's offer to get me a jacket. "I miss them so much," I barely whispered.

"Are...are they alive?" Sideswipe asked hesitantly.

My fingers grabbed the grass around my legs, pulling at it tightly. "Sophie…" My voice trailed off, the wind carrying it away. I could almost hear her voice, see her blonde hair if I tried to envision her in front of me. I felt a rush of emotions building up inside of me, an unstable dam about to break from holding too much in. Biting my lip, I kept my gaze on the ground, my hands still clenching onto the grass.

"Is Sophie dead?" He gently asked.

Those three words made the dam collapse.

I released the grass, pulled my legs tightly around me as my shoulders trembled from sobs. The words _dead_ and _loss_ tumbled around my mind, knowing my best friend was never coming back. I was never going to have another sleepover with her and Kayla again, never going to go to our local fair, never going to have long rants with her about the ridiculous amount of homework that Mr. Fields assigned us.

She was _gone_.

I tried to form words, to form something to tell Sideswipe he was right, but I couldn't. My lips trembled uncontrollably, salty and wet from the tears sliding down my cheeks. I felt an arm press against my back, and looked up weakly, seeing Sideswipe had moved so he was sitting right beside me.

A hard, cold look was in his eyes as he stared in front of his feet. His eyebrows were furrowed as if he were solving a problem, and when he caught me staring, his gaze softened.

"I'm sorry," was all he said, but it was enough.

 **–––––**

Sideswipe's engine rumbled to life, bouncing off the high walls of the warehouse. The holoform in the seat next to me gave me a glance, an eyebrow raised.

"Ready to go?"

I nodded, letting the corners of my lips raise in an attempt to smile.

Sideswipe slowly made his way out of the open doors of the warehouse and into the bright sunlight of the early morning. Birds sang in the distance, as if singing an apology to the heavens for what had happened to our planet, to the human race.

Taking a deep breath, I looked out the window as Sideswipe pulled onto the main road, passing by abandoned cars. The grass on the edge of the road was overgrown and wild, sneaking its way up onto the cracked pavement. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead, and I stuck out my tongue in disgust.

"Why does it have to be _so_ hot?" I complained, lifting my legs from the leather seat. "I apologize ahead of time if I ruin your leather with all of my sweat. But," I stuck up a finger in a matter-of-factly manner, "I blame it on the human body."

"Relax," Sideswipe's voice flowed from the speakers. "It is kind of gross though. Why do humans sweat?"

"It's how we cool our bodies down," I replied.

"I guess that makes sense," Sideswipe said.

I was silent for a few moments, expecting him to turn on the air conditioning, but nothing changed. Sweat trickled onto my lips, and I wiped the back of my hand across them, coughing.

"Hello?" I asked, nudging the dashboard playfully.

"Yes?" Sideswipe replied.

"The air conditioning. Please. Put. It. On," I said, and sighed happily as a cool blast of air hit my face. "Thank you," I mumbled, leaning back in the passenger seat.

Sideswipe's speed slowed, and I looked up from inspecting a cut on my hand. Large buildings were in the distance, and I saw a sign that indicated we were heading towards the downtown area of a small town.

"Braelyn," Sideswipe's holoform materialized next to me, and I screamed.

"Why do you have to do that to me?" I growled, reaching forward to gently nudge him, but his hand squeezed around my forearm. Widening my eyes, I looked up to him, pulling my hand away before he could see me blush.

"Get in the back," he said, giving me no warning.

"What?" I asked, shaking my head. "What's going on?"

"I saw movement in the town. Now, in case these are dangerous people and they approach me, I don't want them to see you."

I nodded, unstrapping the seat belt before I climbed into the back, crouching low behind one of the seats. Sideswipe continued to move at a steady pace, and I kept my eyes on his holoform.

"Almost there…" He mumbled, eyes focused on the road in front of him. "What do you want me to get you?"

"Huh?"

He glanced at me quickly, a smile crossing his face. "I see a store. I might try to go in there if you need anything. Do you?"

I was surprised at his offer. "Uh, yeah," I said. "If you can find any socks, bandages, shampoo…" My mind drifted to the hot weather, and I glanced to the ground. "And if there are any bathing suits and towels, that would be great."

"Alright," Sideswipe said, "just stay quiet and stay low. There are two guys pointing guns at me up ahead."

My heart rate quickened, and I cursed under my breath. Was he trying to get us, well, _me_ killed?

The car rolled to a stop, and I glanced upwards, tall buildings towering nearby. Sideswipe stepped out of the car, and I opened my mouth to whisper-yell to him, but instantly shut it.

Whatever he was doing, he better have a good reason.

He walked away from the door, putting his hands up. As he walked further away from the car, I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I remained still, holding my breath. I could tell he was having a conversation with the people he saw, but I–

 _Boom!_

A gunshot echoed through the air, and I gasped, pulling my body up so I could see out of the windshield.

The two men were pointing their guns at Sideswipe.

"Shit," I said, pulling my gun out of its holster. I turned the safety off, before climbing out of the car, pointing it at the man closest to Sideswipe.

"Stand down!" I screamed, clenching my teeth. All three heads turned to look at me, Sideswipe opening his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"I thought you said you were alone?" The man closest to Sideswipe growled, shifting his gun to point at me. He looked over to his companion, giving a small nod. "Shoot the girl."

"No!" Sideswipe screamed, and I collapsed to the ground as a bullet flew a mere inches over my head. I hissed in pain from my abdomen as I curled into a ball, lifting my head to stare at the man who fired at me. But he wasn't looking at me.

Sideswipe was gone.

"Where the hell did he go?" The man yelled at the one who attempted to shoot me, but he merely shrugged.

Sideswipe began his transformation, and I shifted my head to watch as the silver Autobot appeared in a matter of seconds. My mouth fell open in awe as he flickered his eyes over me, then focused on the others.

"I'm right here," he said lowly, unsheathing the blades on his arms.

The two men lowered their weapons, backing up slowly as Sideswipe began to wheel towards them. To add to his menacing effect, he sliced a streetlamp in half, showing the mere power he contained. Well, he _was_ a fifteen foot robot, and they were just tiny human beings.

I would be concerned if they weren't scared shitless.

"Run!" One of the men hollered, before they took off down the road, jumping into a car. The engine roared to life, before the tires screeched, the men fleeing before Sideswipe could do anything to them.

I pushed myself to a stand, clapping as the car disappeared from view. "Yeah, you run!"

Sideswipe turned to look at me, the metal on his face contorted to show his disappointment. I stopped mid-clap, my arms flopping to my sides.

"I thought I asked you to remain quiet _and_ in the back?" He said, slowly wheeling over to me. His blades went back into his arms, and he crouched to look at me. His icy look sent a chill down my spine, and my eyes drifted towards the ground.

"I–"

"No," Sideswipe let out a heavy sigh. "There are no excuses. It's not that you disobeyed me, it's that you almost got yourself killed. Didn't I tell you I could handle the situation?"

The disappointment in his shallow voice made my stomach clench, and I looked up to meet his eyes. "I heard a gunshot," I said. "I thought they shot you. I'm sorry."

He transformed, and I watched as his holoform emerged. He walked towards me, his footsteps echoing off of the deserted buildings that lined the street.

"Listen," he muttered as he got close enough to me. I met his eyes once more, searching for any sign of trust or belief. His eyes were darker than normal, which I took as a bad sign.

"You don't need to keep reprimanding me," I muttered.

"I'm not going to. I just want to say that you don't have to protect me," he replied. "My holoform can't be harmed. Only my true form," he motioned to the Corvette, "can be damaged or offlined. You don't need to worry about me."

"I wish you told me that earlier," I said, but a smile tugged at my lips.

"Sorry," Sideswipe replied. "Wanna go to that store? It's right over there." He pointed at a dark gray building standing at the end of the street, and I nodded.

 **–––––**

The majority of the store had been looted already, items strewn about the floor and shelves. There was no food left, only a few cans and a bag of chips that had expired a month ago, but I grabbed them anyway. The light from outside trickled in from the windows out front, rays of light illuminating the aisles as I walked down each one.

Towards the back of the store, there was a summer section that had an assortment of sunscreens, pool noodles, goggles, sunglasses, flip flops, swim towels, and bathing suits. I quickly grabbed one of each, disregarding the pool noodles and goggles.

"Hey," Sideswipe said from down a nearby aisle. I turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Look what I found."

He handed me a three-pack of white socks and a large bottle of shampoo. I grabbed them, uttering a small "thank you" as I continued to walk around the store, Sideswipe trailing behind me.

I stopped near the exit, turning to face Sideswipe. "I have a good idea!" I said, adjusting the items in my arms. "It looks like it's almost time for lunch. Shall we have a picnic?"

A smile crossed Sideswipe's face, but he cocked his head to the side. "Sure, but what exactly is a picnic?"

I backed up against the door, pushing it open. I held it open for Sideswipe as he walked out.

"It's where you go someplace nice and eat outside. Normally you bring a basket or some sort of bag to carry your meal, but we can just bring some cans and water bottles outside." I tossed him the bag of chips. "And for dessert, we can munch on some of these lovely expired chips!"

Sideswipe let out a deep laugh, shaking his head. "I'm going to pass on the eating part, since you need the food more than I do." He grinned, starting towards his true form. "But, it sounds like a nice idea to have a picnic with you."

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my lips, a warmth radiating through my chest. I leaned my head back and breathed in deeply, soaking in the heat from the golden globe in the sky.

Maybe today would get better.

 **–––––**

 **This chapter was actually so much fun to write. We see a little bit more of Braelyn's persona, and her acting-before-thinking that gets her in danger (as well as Sideswipe being protective awww).**

 **Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts and any questions, I really do love reading every review you write!**

 **Until** **next time, my friends!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	7. Beauty Around Us

**Hello everyone!**

 **This chapter was actually so much fun to write. I wanted to develop the characters a little bit more, and I played around with humor (or at least tried to). I can't believe the amount of support you guys give me, you always bring a smile to my face and make my day! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (Starlit Storyteller, SunnySidesFemme, BIackrose13, Desmol, RewindandDomey4ever, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, The Silvernote, Vodid, and LaurenA007), I really appreciate seeing what everyone thinks!**

 **Enjoy :)**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 7: Beauty Around Us**

 **–––––**

 _Snap. Crack. Twist._

My feet walked over the helpless twigs resting on the forest floor, rays of the afternoon sunlight filtering in through the bright green leaves rustling softly in the breeze. I quickly hopped onto my left foot, avoiding a bush covered in tiny thorns. I pushed stray branches hanging off small trees out of my face, my eyes scanning back and forth for any sign of a clearing in the distance.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going, or…?" Sideswipe's voice echoed, and my lips curled into a frown. I stopped, turning to stare at the Autobot who was attempting to avoid trees and rocks as he walked behind me, although it was futile. He stepped on the exposed roots of a tree, causing the trunk to crack.

"Ah!" He yelped, moving his hands to prevent the tree from falling, but it crashed to the forest floor. A large _boom_ rumbled through the forest, a few birds chirping loudly as they quickly fled.

Sideswipe's face was filled with horror, as if he killed something innocent, and it took all of my strength not to burst into laughter. I wanted to feel pity, but my mind only focused on the hilarity of the incident.

His eyes shifted to meet mine, brightening slightly. The corners of his lip plates twitched, and I couldn't help it; a laugh shook my body, and before I knew it, he was laughing heartily as well.

"The look on your face," I wheezed, trying to catch my breath, "I swear, it killed me. You looked mortified."

"I, uh, I didn't m-mean to," he stuttered, scratching his back absentmindedly, a very human-like gesture.

"That poor tree. It had a long life ahead of it and you had to ruin it," I shook my head, but the grin stayed on my lips. "It's funny seeing you so caring for something like a _tree_."

Sideswipe smirked, glancing at the fallen tree before leaning down. At first, I thought he wanted to talk to me, but he scooped me up, holding me gently. I squeaked, gripping his finger tightly as I saw the ground sway beneath me, my mind flashing back to when the Decepticon almost crushed me in its grasp. Sideswipe seemed to remember as well, as he lowered me closer to the ground.

"It's alright," he said softly, and I turned my head to look at him. My heart pounded, and I knew he could sense it, as a look of concern crossed his face plating. "I'm not going to let you fall. I just want to hold you so if I knock another tree down, you won't be in its path."

I quickly nodded, my heart rate beginning to slow as I took large breaths. I tried to focus on the little details in comparison to the way the Decepticon treated me, like the warmth of the metal on Sideswipe's hand, or the way the tips of his fingers curled to keep me from falling off the edge.

 _I'm not going to let you fall_.

Slowly, Sideswipe began to stand up straighter, and the distance from the ground increased. I turned my head to look at my surroundings, a sense of wonder encouraging me to face my fear of heights, something that plagued me ever since my accident in second grade.

As my mother once told me, sometimes looking at the world in a different perspective can open new doors. I wanted to believe her, but I never felt that connection or shift in my perspective of life.

Maybe it was the end of the world that brought me a new perspective, as if shoving it in my face that death was the key to rethinking life, or maybe it was Sideswipe, someone who saved me and showed me that my time on this planet was not over.

I still had a purpose.

"Hey," Sideswipe chuckled, pulling me from the depth of my thoughts. I realized I was still gripping one of his fingers like it was a lifeline, and I released my grasp. "I thought you were going to squeeze me to death."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said in a sarcastic tone, rolling my eyes. "There's got to be a field somewhere!"

It took Sideswipe a few moments before he realized I was talking about our picnic, and why we were even trudging through this forest in the first place.

"I don't see any fields. Just trees, trees… and oh, look, more trees!"

"Thank you Mr. Obvious," I muttered, leaning back to sit on the palm of his hand. It actually wasn't so bad up here, after all. "Just keep walking forwards. We're bound to find a clearing at some point."

Sideswipe opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. I could tell he wanted to make a remark on how this journey would probably just wind up with us walking onto another road, discovering no field.

I still had hope.

 **–––––**

I was beginning to drift to sleep when Sideswipe screamed "ah-ha!" triumphantly. It startled me, and I blinked the grogginess out of my eyes, a bright light making speckles of dots float across my vision. Putting up a hand to block out the light, I squinted, my eyes slowly focusing on what lay ahead of us.

"Put me down!" I squealed, sounding like a two-year old, and Sideswipe complied. I bounded off of his hand, laughing cheerfully as I spun in circles, the long grass tickling my legs. I lost my balance and fell, the soft ground cushioning my fall, and I took a deep breath, the sweet air filling my lungs.

Sideswipe appeared upside down in my vision, leaning forwards so his upper body loomed before me. He partially blocked out the sun, his shadow cooling me down from the sweltering heat.

"You found it!" I exclaimed, unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face.

"So, are we going to have this thing you call a "picnic" or not?" Sideswipe teased.

I sat up, stretching my legs. I peered above the tall grass, searching for somewhere shaded for us to eat, when my eyes fell upon a small cluster of trees resting upon a higher point in the field.

"There!" I said, pointing at the trees. Sideswipe followed where I was pointing, giving a small nod as I stood up, leading the way. A tire swing, worn down over the years, dangled from a sturdy branch, swaying slightly in the summer breeze. As we reached the trees, Sideswipe found a flat spot to transform, his holoform materializing a few feet away from me.

"Hey, you didn't jump or scream," he said, nudging me lightly as he walked up to where I was standing. "Braelyn?"

In front of me, carved into the dark brown wood of one of the trees, were the words:

 _J+L_

 _WE WERE HERE_

I reached out, tracing the indented edges where at one time, however many years ago, two people stood in our place, staring at their creation that would last as long as the tree lived.

"What's that?" Sideswipe asked, his eyes watching as my fingers continued to move across the carving.

"It's a carving," I replied, "sometimes people carve things into trees, because it's as if they are making a mark on the world." I turned to face Sideswipe, my arm falling to my side. "Even if we don't know who these people were, we still wonder. Isn't that itself good enough?"

Sideswipe remained silent, obviously confused at what I was trying to communicate.

"They're remembered," I elaborated. "When you die, you want someone to remember you. These people, unknown to us, are still in our minds, because we see what they left on the world." I paused, my eyes trailing to the ground. A thought trickled through my mind, akin to fear.

Would _I_ be remembered if I died?

"I'll remember you."

I looked up, startled at Sideswipe's words.

"What?"

"I'll remember you, Braelyn. You don't need to worry about being forgotten."

Sideswipe's bright, mysterious eyes flickered to me, his lips curling into a soft smile. I quickly looked away, clearing my throat. But, I snuck a glance at him, my cheeks warming slightly, and not because of the heat.

"Thanks, Sideswipe."

"Here, uh, lemme grab the food."

Sideswipe walked away, the sound of his feet moving through the grass drifting from my hearing. Curling my legs underneath me, I plopped onto the ground, twisting the grass between my fingers until Sideswipe returned.

He handed me my backpack, and I pulled it into my lap, zipping it open. I brought out a few cans, a granola bar, bottled water, and the bag of chips that I said we could eat for dessert. Opening the cans, I offered one to Sideswipe, but he pushed it towards me.

"I don't need it," he said, "but I know you do."

"What's the point of having a picnic if you don't eat with me?" I muttered, grabbing a fork out of my bag. Stabbing one of the green beans in the can, I picked it up, and Sideswipe chuckled.

"Human food does nothing for me," he said, "and this can still be a picnic! I'll just _watch_ you eat."

About to place the green bean in my mouth, I stopped, instead flinging it at Sideswipe. It hit his cheek, sliding for a few seconds before falling to the ground. He reached up to touch his face, mouth falling open in surprise.

"Did you really just–?"

"Oh yes I did," I smirked, placing the can of green beans on the ground. I sprung up, wiggling my eyebrows in a taunting way, and Sideswipe lunged at me. I jumped out of the way, laughing as I ran past him and into the cluster of trees.

"Hey, get back here!" Sideswipe yelled, but I could hear the laughter in his voice.

I winded through the trees, only taking a few seconds to get to the other side. As my eyes fell onto the field once more, I stopped, breathing in sharply. Sideswipe's footsteps came to halt beside me, and he tapped my shoulder.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Look," I said, nodding my head towards what I was looking at.

Sideswipe turned, his eyes widening slightly. "Is that a lake?"

"Yeah, it is!" I replied excitedly.

In the distance, at the edge of the field, there was a break in the trees. Beyond it, water sat glistening in the sunlight, expanding beyond what we could see.

"After I eat, we should go there," I suggested, turning to walk through the trees once more.

"I think I'm going to go check it out," Sideswipe said, and I glanced at him, a smile crossing my face.

"Okay."

 **–––––**

"I swear, if you even dare to use whatever powers you have to see through these trees when I have no clothes on, I will kill you," I shouted to Sideswipe, quickly pulling the two pieces of the bathing suit on. Miraculously, it seemed to fit me, the bottoms a little on the tight side for what I would normally wear, but otherwise I liked it.

"Don't worry, I won't look," Sideswipe called back, but I could picture the smirk on his visage.

I lathered the sunscreen from the store onto my skin, fully realizing how much I had tanned since the beginning of summer. Typically a pale person, I tend to only gain a little bit of color, but spending so much time outside these last few months gave my arms and legs a darker skin tone. But, my stomach still remained pale, and I chuckled at how much Aidan would judge me for looking like a layered popsicle if he were here.

My hands clenched the towel I grabbed, and I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. _You're going to find him_ , I reassured myself, before tilting my head back to look into the canopy of leaves surrounding me.

I slung the towel over my shoulders, peeking my head from behind a tree. Sideswipe was sitting in the shade, staring off towards the glimmering water reflecting the afternoon sun. His face plates were contorted in a way as if he seemed to be contemplating something, eyes dimmer than they normally would be.

It almost seemed as if he was longing for something... someone.

I cautiously stepped out from the side of the tree, not wanting to startle Sideswipe from his daze.

"Hey," I said a little too quietly, but he heard me. He turned his face to look at me, eyes brightening from their previous state as he saw me.

"That's an interesting garment you're wearing," he stated, and it took me a few seconds to realize he was referring to my bikini.

"Oh, well, uh," I trailed off, not sure how to explain. "It's something us humans wear when we go swimming, so we, um, don't have to wear heavy clothes instead."

He nodded, although I could tell he wanted to know more. He was curious about our lifestyle, just as I wanted to know more about him.

Setting my towel onto the dry sand, I walked towards the edge of the water, letting the cool liquid lap between my toes and legs. I looked out upon the lake, appreciating its seclusiveness, as it was surrounded entirely by forest.

I walked deeper into the water, now up to my waist. My hands gently grazed the surface, creating tiny ripples that expanded as if trying to reach an unknown destination. I turned to glance at Sideswipe, who waved at me.

In response, I dove underwater. The rush of water surrounded me as I floated, a feeling of weightlessness leading my mind to drift elsewhere. An eerie quietness filled my ears, the occasional air bubble escaping through my parted lips.

My lungs screamed for oxygen, but I continued to push myself. Every second I spent underwater was every second I spent running from the Decepticon with Aidan. It reminded me of the burning intensity in my lungs, my heart throbbing in my chest. Aidan reached out to me as we sprinted, and I tried to grab him, but

 _Gasp_.

I shot out of the water, breathing in deeply as my capacity for holding my breath shattered. I pushed the stray hairs clinging to my face out of my eyes, blinking to rid the water stuck on my eyelashes.

My toes curled around the soft sand beneath the surface, and I sighed, allowing the warmth of the fiery orb to soak into my skin. A sudden noise of metal squealing together startled me, and I looked in the direction to find Sideswipe standing up.

His brilliant blue eyes fell onto mine as he stretched, causing me to chuckle as a hiss seemed to release some tension within him, similar to a person popping their shoulder to relax.

"You gonna come in?" I called, paddling slowly on my back. "The water's nice."

Sideswipe's eyes shifted towards the water, then back to me, then back towards the water, and the all-too-familiar smirk crossed his lip plating.

"Oh shit," I cursed under my breath, flipping onto my stomach to swim faster.

I could hear his loud footsteps shudder the earth, and before I knew it, a wave of water sent me tumbling underneath the surface. I quickly regained my senses and swam back to the surface, coughing to rid the water from my throat.

"Are you alright?"

His voice was surprisingly close, and I twisted my head to see him.

Sideswipe was standing in the water, still towering over me. The lake seemed like a puddle to him, and I was a miniscule water bug trying to survive. Worry flickered over his eyes, his lips curled into an evident frown.

"Don't worry, you haven't squashed the bug," I said. "Why are you always concerned about me? You didn't harm me."

"Humans are fragile."

I waited him to say more, like _Especially you_ or _I'm responsible for you_ like a parent would to their child. But he remained silent.

"Everything is fragile," I replied. "From the smallest grain of sand to the tallest tree in a jungle. Nothing lasts forever."

Sideswipe gave a small nod, and I watched as the worried expression turned into one of curiosity. He slowly picked up his feet, walking further into the lake. A minute later, he had disappeared under water, now at the center of the small and circular lake.

I grinned as he reappeared, moving towards me. As more of his frame became exposed to the air, I watched as water slipped down his plating, trickling along the cables in his neck and arms. His metal frame glistened in the sun, and I had to look away as it became overpowering, causing speckles of dark to dance around my eyes.

He came to a halt near me, extending a hand for me to get on. I quirked an eyebrow, cautiously pulling myself onto the surface of his hand, and he raised me a few feet of the water before bringing me to a deeper portion of the lake.

He extended his fingers like some sort of platform, and I stood up, holding onto his wrist to steady myself.

"Do you want me to jump off, or– wait, no!" I squeaked as he tilted his hand to an angle where it was impossible for me to stay on, and I tumbled into the water.

As I resurfaced, Sideswipe was shaking with laughter. I splashed him with water, and it was a pitiful attempt, which made him laugh even harder. I felt the familiar feeling in my stomach where I was trying not to laugh, and I cleared my throat loudly.

"Y-Yes?" He answered, his laughter fading as he offered me a finger to hold on to instead of treading water.

" _What_ was that?" I demanded, but my voice had a playful tone. _Curse my inability to be serious!_

"What was what?" He replied, and I rolled my eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

"No."

"Oh," he said, "well that's too bad, because I thought it was pretty entertaining."

I scoffed, tapping his finger impatiently. With his other hand, he gently scooped me up, holding me directly in front of his eyes. They narrowed slightly, as if judging the way I looked, and I suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Put me back in the water."

I could tell he wanted to comply, but instead he continued to question me.

"Why? What did I do?"

"It's the way you're looking at me, with those, those very _blue_ eyes of yours," I muttered.

"Optics."

"Huh?"

"They're called optics." I thought he was angry with me, but his eyes –optics– were still gazing at me like before.

"Whatever. You look like you're criticizing the way I look."

"I think you look…" He trailed off, and I felt the familiar twist in my stomach from in kindergarten when the other kids thought it was nice to make fun of the way I dressed. I always wore overalls with a crazy and bright shirt, and to add to it, I put half of my hair into a ponytail and the other half I let down.

But Mom always told me happiness came from not what others thought of me, but how I felt when I wore and did what I wanted.

"I look what?" I pushed him.

"I think you humans call it, uh, beautiful?" He said in a shy sort of way.

Well, that's not what I was expecting. At all.

"Oh, um, thanks?" I replied, clearly caught off guard as I stumbled upon my words. I didn't know what else to say, so I waited for Sideswipe to be the next one to speak. Instead, he blinked a couple of times before placing me back into the water.

I wanted to hide under water, blush creeping onto my cheeks as we awkwardly stared at each other. No one had ever said that to me besides my family, the word 'beautiful' seeming almost forbidden for anyone to say. I kicked my legs to tread water, the constant rhythm making me think of something.

"I have an idea," I said, turning to look at the sun as it was nearing the line of trees. "Let's play a game called Marco Polo."

"Marco Polo?" Sideswipe repeated, and I smiled.

"Yeah. Although, I think you're gonna need your holoform for this." He grumbled something incoherent, so I tried to reassure him. "It's easy to learn how to play!"

As I watched Sideswipe head towards the beach to transform, I glided my way towards where it was more shallow. As my toes finally grazed the bottom, I fiddled with my thumbs.

He said I was beautiful.

 **–––––**

 **Who doesn't love a good pair of awkward people!**

 **Sorry for the lack of action, we'll see some in the next chapter (dun dun dun). Please let me know what you think so far! Also, I want to get to know you guys better, just not as someone online, but as real people! So I was thinking that at the end of each chapter I'll ask a question about you as individuals. Here's my first one:**

 **What country are you from? I'm from the United States :)**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	8. Monster Within

**Hello friends! I am back after a long break, with some good news. Hopefully, now that school is ending soon, I will be able to update more! Also, I tried to make this chapter pretty long for you, but not _too_ long. I hope you will all like it!**

 **We had 12 reviews on the last chapter, and I was shocked! Thank you so much for the support: Vodid, Starlit Storyteller, The Silvernote, BIackrose13, RewindandDomey4ever, Frellian, The Whispering Sage, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, zudebaby, sakurawriter, SunnySidesFemme, and Miss E! I loved seeing where you all were from.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 8: Monster Within**

 **–––––**

I woke with a jolt, images from the recent nightmare flashing across my vision before they slowly faded into the darkness around me. Careful not to wake Sideswipe, I shifted my body to face the front seats, attempting to move my legs in the backseat to a more comfortable position. The darkness made it difficult to see, but the low hum from deep inside the car reminded me that I was not alone.

"Sideswipe?" I asked hesitantly, my voice a mere whisper. I had a twinge of regret, not wanting to wake him up after our long day yesterday, but it was too late. His holoform materialized in seconds, and I found myself staring at the soft glowing orbs that belonged to his eyes.

"Braelyn," he said gently, "another nightmare?"

I simply nodded, and although it was pitch black, I knew he understood.

"I want them to stop," I said, my voice seeming more like a child's than my own. I felt my eyes moisten with tears, and let them slip onto my cheeks. "Why won't they?"

"We all have our..." Sideswipe paused, his voice drifting, "you could say, demons. I know how you feel, and it's hard to let go of the things that haunt you."

My parents. My friends. My brother. My home. North Carolina. The world.

"You've lost so much," he continued, his voice somewhat soothing. "I lost my planet. I remember watching as everything collapsed, the hope draining away like water in a pipe. I felt terrified and insignificant."

I remained quiet, hugging my arms to my chest. The wound in my torso still slightly ached, a constant reminder to the ever-present threats in my life.

"We tried to prevent what happened to Cybertron from happening to your planet. The Autobots never wanted another species to be harmed from our mistakes, and Braelyn–"

He reached out in the darkness, and I could make out his hand as it inched towards me. I grabbed it.

"I'm truly sorry."

I opened my mouth, at a loss for words. The guilt and sadness pounding away at my insides seemed to overpower me, more tears silently slipping down my face before splashing onto the leather seat. I tightened my grip on Sideswipe's hand, pulling him towards me. Sitting up, I searched for his eyes in the darkness, something to lock onto to remind me that I wasn't alone. That I hadn't lost everything.

"You don't need to be sorry for anything," I whispered, squeezing Sideswipe's hand with the two of mine. I let go, wrapping my arms around him, leaning my head against his shoulder. We remained quiet, holding each other, and I realized just how much I needed him with me.

The silence around us spoke for itself. When there were no words to be said, the impact of the quiet surroundings alone was strong enough to wake me to my senses. I thought about how much my life had changed in the past few months. How much _I_ had changed as a person. And how I was now trusting this Autobot that once seemed like a threat to society.

Until I saw the truth.

I stared out of the window, into the darkness beyond. Drowsiness began to consume me as my eyes drifted shut, and my head slumped softly against Sideswipe's holoform.

 **–––––**

"Look what I found," Sideswipe leaned back into the sand, holding out an object for me to see.

It was a chipped piece of glass, probably from a beer someone left behind after a party, too drunk to remember that this was a place that belonged to nature, not trash.

I took it out of his hands, turning it around in my fingers. The deep green color was faded and turning into a murky brown.

Sideswipe was staring at it intently, like it was some sort of ancient artifact. I tossed it into the woods, reminding myself that it was no longer necessary throwing it out when most the people on the planet were gone.

"That's trash, Sideswipe," I muttered after seeing his expression become slightly hurt after I threw away what he gave me.

"I thought it was interesting," he replied, pushing himself to a stand. His holoform vanished in a flurry of blue sparks, and the Corvette nearby rumbled to life.

I finished the rest of the beans I was eating and grabbed my backpack that was resting against my leg. I walked over to Sideswipe, who had transformed a moment ago, staring up at those mesmerizing optics. "Where are we headed off to?" I asked.

The Autobot swiveled his head from left to right, glancing out past the lake. "You need food, correct?" He questioned.

I nodded, rummaging through my bag. I only had a few cans left, and my water supply was running low. "I'll run out soon if I don't ration what I have," I stated, zipping my bag closed and slipping the strap onto my shoulder.

Sideswipe muttered something to himself, optics flickering to different places behind me. They trailed back to me, and he crouched.

"Would you prefer if we found a town or neighborhood?"

I bit my lip. Both had their benefits and dangers. Neighborhoods often lacked food, people having left in a hurry and taking most of their food with them. Some houses were destroyed to the point where I couldn't find anything edible in the remains, but I had been quite lucky in finding something to eat in the days since my house was attacked.

On the other hand, towns had people hiding in them, the majority of them willing to kill to protect the food and supplies they had gathered. Although, there were many places that had yet to be looted, as each day the human population was fading out.

"Let's go with a town," I suggested, and Sideswipe nodded. He offered me his hand to climb on, and I pulled myself up onto the warm surface.

Ominous clouds covered the sky today, their gravel-gray color distinct from the fluffy cotton white ones that had been present the day before. The air felt dense and humid, and I glanced at Sideswipe.

"I think it's going to finally rain!" It hadn't rained in a few weeks, and the plants surrounding us looked wilted as if begging for help. A smile crept across my face as Sideswipe began to walk down the long stretch of the beach.

 **–––––**

Maybe the rain isn't the _best_ thing that could happen right now. Especially when we have no shelter.

My hands tightly gripped a few cables in Sideswipe's neck as I sat on his shoulder, stray pieces of hair sticking to my wet skin. I pulled my hand away for a few seconds, tucking my hair behind my ears. Raindrops trickled down my arm into my hand and I began to slip forward, Sideswipe's hand gently steadying me before I completely fell off.

"Maybe you should ride on my servo," he said, the rumble of his laughing making me giggle. I agreed, allowing him to flatten out his hand before I climbed on.

A few hours ago we had stopped for a lunch break, Sideswipe transforming into his alt mode to provide a shelter from the heavy rain. I was soaked to the bone, teeth chattering as I forced myself to only eat half of a can of chunky tomato soup. Sheets of rain pounded away at the roof of the Corvette, the sound deafening and intense.

"We have to keep going," I had told Sideswipe, urging him to continue on the search for a town. He was reluctant, saying how he wanted me to be safe and dry, and that we should wait for the storm to pass. But, I convinced him otherwise, reminding him that I had a dangerously low supply of food remaining.

Now, the rain was falling softer, drops of water splashing against my skin. My damp shirt and shorts clung to my body, and I wriggled my toes against the bumpy surface of my flip-flops, producing a high-pitched squeaking sound. I immediately stopped.

Birds sang all around us, rejoicing for finally being blessed with the sweet rain water. Sideswipe's feet crunched along the forest floor, keeping me close to my body as he carefully stepped around fallen logs, pushing branches out of the way.

A distant buzzing sound caught my attention as I sat up, lifting an eyebrow. Sideswipe suddenly stopped, remaining still.

"Do you hear that?" I whispered, and Sideswipe brought his other hand to his lip plates. I clamped my mouth shut, focusing my attention on the sound that was growing louder.

The rumbling seemed to make the woods surrounding us grow silent, and Sideswipe locked eyes with me when we realized what it was.

An engine.

"Is it a Decepticon?" I asked quietly.

Sideswipe shook his head, optics flickering to the trees beyond me.

"I think it's a car. With humans in it."

My eyes widened in disbelief as the roaring engine began to fade. "We have to be close to a road or town, then," I said.

Sideswipe began walking once more, trying to make less sound as he weaved between the trees. I watched for any signs of a road, almost shouting with joy as my eyes made one out in the distance.

"Look!" I pointed ahead of me, and Sideswipe smiled.

As we crossed the threshold into the open road, Sideswipe let me slip off of his hand, keeping me steady as I gained my balance. I stared in the direction the car had went, eyes falling onto a bright green sign beside the road that stated a small city was nearby.

"I can't believe there's a city close to us," I mentioned, grinning as I turned to face Sideswipe.

"Is it the best idea to go in the direction that car went?" Sideswipe said, his face plates contorting in concern mixed with wariness.

"I know it might be dangerous. But this time, we'll be prepared, and I _really_ need food." My stomach grumbled loudly in confirmation.

The Autobot transformed beside me, the sleek Corvette replacing where he once stood. The passenger door popped open, and I climbed inside, settling into the seat.

 **–––––**

"Okay, do you know the plan if we come across those people we heard earlier?"

We had been driving for about ten minutes, and tall buildings were visible in the distance as Sideswipe began to slow his pace. The holoform beside me nodded.

"Let you do the talking. If they threaten either of us, we slowly back away until we reach my alt mode."

I gave a small smile. "Pretty much. Hopefully we can go in a few stores and get out before they spot us."

The downtown area came into full view as we approached it, and Sideswipe slowly crept forward, his engine rumbling softly. Storefronts littered the first floor of most of the modern buildings, and Sideswipe pulled up to a sidewalk, rolling to a stop.

I grabbed my gun out of my bag, slipping it into the holster tied around my waist. Luckily, the rain had stopped earlier, and I stepped out of the Corvette, tying my light brown hair into a low ponytail. I spotted a food store on the corner of the street, and made my way to the driver's side.

Sideswipe's holoform climbed out, the door shutting by itself. He looked at me, his electric blue eyes making my heart jump, and flashed a dazzling smile before turning to look where I pointed.

"I see a food store over there," I said.

"I can't tell if it's been looted or not," he said, turning to glance at me. "Let's be careful."

I nodded, keeping a hand near my gun as I slowly crossed the street, Sideswipe right behind me. As I passed by the storefronts, I paused by each one, my heart twisting at the sight of family-owned businesses now long gone. Some windows had been shattered, signs hung in the entryways that read "Closed today. Come back soon!".

Sideswipe remained silent, and I quickly turned back to look at him. His face was unreadable as he focused on the ground below his feet, his holoform continuing to walk behind me.

I slowed as we neared the food store, holding a hand up to make Sideswipe stop. A faint clattering sound caught my attention from within the store, and I drew my gun out of its holster, finger close to the trigger. Sideswipe, although weaponless, looked prepared, as at any second he could become a giant robot that could overpower any human.

"On three," I whispered. "One, two, three!"

We jumped to face the open door of the store, and I pointed my gun ahead of me, freezing as I found where the source of the sounds had come from.

A raccoon sat on the ground, munching on an opened bag of chips. It squeaked in fright as I began to walk towards it, disappearing into a hole in the side of the store.

I slowed to a stop, sighing. "It was just a raccoon," I muttered as Sideswipe walked to stand beside me, his eyes flickering over the relatively dark store.

My heart dropped as I looked over the shelves closest to where we stood. What had once contained numerous amounts of food, now stood bare as a ray of sunlight began to make its way out of the clouds, reflecting through the glass of the windows.

I made my way forwards, not daring to believe that this store had been completely looted. Empty shelf after empty shelf, my chest clenched in disappointment, weaving in and out of the various aisles.

"Braelyn," Sideswipe called, and I stopped, scanning the store to find where he was. I spotted his platinum blond hair over a few rows of shelves, and quickly covered the distance to find him holding a few large cans.

"Thank God," I laughed, relief calming my nervous state. A sly grin stretched across his face, and I scrunched my nose at him as I shot him a mocking look.

"Sometimes you just have to look hard enough," he said, and handed the cans to me. I quickly put them into my backpack, and pulled both of the straps over my shoulders.

"Have you found anything else?" I asked, and Sideswipe shook his head.

"No. But, we can try other places to see if we can find anything else."

"That sounds like a good–"

I was cut off as Sideswipe placed his hand over my mouth, his other arm hooking around my back. He pulled me closer to him, and my eyebrows furrowed into evident confusion as he glanced towards the front of the store.

I grabbed his hand to pull it away from my mouth, although I entwined my fingers through his. "What's going on?" I whispered.

He turned back to look at me, eyes flickering to our hands and back to my face.

"They're nearby."

" _Who_ is nearby?"

Ignoring my question, he crouched, and I followed. Moving alongside the shelves, we slowly made our way towards the front of the store. I peeked around his shoulder as we came to a stop, and I followed his gaze towards the street, where three people we making their way towards the Corvette.

"What do we do?" I asked, biting my lip. Sideswipe put a finger to his lips, gesturing towards the strangers.

A man and woman led the group of three, a younger-looking boy trailing behind. They each held a gun, and had large backpacks strapped over their shoulders, scanning back-and-forth as they cautiously made their way towards Sideswipe's alt form.

I focused on the boy in the back, a sense of familiarity washing over me. Although I couldn't see his face, the dark, short hair, the easy-going gate as he walked, the lean body–

 _Aidan_.

My heart skipped a beat, and I felt light-headed, my stomach twisting in emotions I couldn't grasp as I stood up. The world around me seemed to melt away, and Sideswipe's voice was a distant echo as I hurried out of the store, a smile illuminating my face.

 _Aidan_.

My brother was just within my reach, although the distance towards him seemed to stretch, and I swayed like a delicate blade of grass in a summer breeze.

"Aidan!"

My voice reverberated across the buildings around us, and all three heads turned to look at me. Before I had time to look at his face, a bullet whizzed past me, shattering the window of the storefront behind me. My senses were tugged back, and I collapsed to the ground as another bullet struck a street lamp not too far from where I was.

An engine roared to life, catching my attention as I watched Sideswipe transform. The trio immediately stopped shooting, giving a few yelps of fear before the man shouted directions of what to do.

Sideswipe unsheathed his blades, the three people already disappearing behind a street corner.

"Wait!" I screamed, sprinting in the direction they had vanished. "Sideswipe, go around! I think my brother is with them!"

I didn't bother checking to see if Sideswipe obliged to my suggestion as I raced after the mysterious people. As I rounded the corner, something heavy rammed into my side, and I cried out as I made contact with the pavement.

A body jumped on top of me, straddling me so I couldn't move an inch. My fingers desperately reached for my gun, although it was no use as a shoe pressed heavily against my arm.

"Who the _hell_ are you?" A feminine voice said, and I brought my eyes towards her face.

Dark eyes, almost like midnight, stared at me with a hatred I didn't think possible. Her dirty blonde hair, greasy and long, fell around her shoulders like curtains, shielding me from the surroundings.

"I-I thought I saw my b-brother," I stammered, trying once again to move, but she responded by pushing against me with more force.

"I don't think that's your brother," she hissed, "because that's my _son_."

My mouth fell open, and I trembled as screams of terror were heard in the distance.

The woman panicked as the screams faded, lifting some of her weight off of me. Realizing the best opportunity I could get, I rammed my knees into her back, sending her falling over my head. Scrambling from my position on the ground, I jumped on top of her, taking my gun out of its holster and pointing it against her forehead.

"I did _nothing_ to hurt you," I seethed, holding back from pressing the trigger. "And yet, you threaten me, shoot at me, just for _what_? So you can kill for fun?"

She glared at me, her dark eyes flickering to a movement in the distance. I looked up to see Sideswipe wheeling towards us, smoke trailing out of his cannon.

Those screams... did he _kill_ the other two?

"You're working for them, aren't you?" The woman spat. She wriggled under my grip, and, through my shock and confusion, pushed me off of her, the gun flying out of my hand.

I pulled myself to a stand, facing the barrel of the gun she pointed at me. _My_ gun, I realized, as I held my hands up.

"I don't understand," I said cautiously, furrowing my eyebrows. "I'm not working for anyone."

"Well, then who is he?" She yelled, motioning to Sideswipe, who had rolled to a stop nearby.

"My designation is Sideswipe," he answered before I could respond, "and I am an Autobot. However, if you dare to even _try_ harming that girl, I will tear you to pieces, despite my leader's wish for us never to harm humans."

The woman snickered, her arm shaking as she moved the gun back towards me. "Like I care," she said, chuckling. "Did you do it?"

Sideswipe solemnly nodded.

"Do what?" I asked.

She turned her gaze towards me, her eyes shiny with tears. "He killed them. Killed my family."

I let my guard down, hands dropping to my side as I gazed at Sideswipe. "You _killed_ them?"

I could tell my expression hurt him, as his optics darkened slightly. "I'm sorry. I had to."

"Killing is something you don't _have_ to do!" I yelled.

A feral scream brought me back to the woman as she tossed the gun to the side, launching herself at me. I barely had time to register what was happening before a brilliantly bright light flew by me, burning through the woman as her screams were cut off, like muting a television.

Horror and dread twisted in my gut as I saw the aftermath of Sideswipe's attack on the woman.

Half her head was missing, dangling limply from her neck. Blood pooled everywhere around her distorted body, and I vomited, the sight sickening me. Sideswipe transformed, his holoform appearing before me, moving to help me up as I finished emptying my stomach of its contents.

I slapped his hand away, rage burning through my veins. Lifting my head to look him in the eye, I said the words I had previously refused to believe.

But, they had been true all along.

"You _monster_."

 **–––––**

 **Oooohhhh I guess this is sort of a cliffhanger? Maybe? I have a bunch of fun planned, just wait and see!**

 **My next question for all of you is: What's your favorite Transformer and why?**

 **Thanks for reading, reviews are much appreciated! Also make sure to follow this story, as my updates are quite random (whoops).**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	9. Alive

**Hi again! I hope to bring you weekly updates soon–this summer I should have more time to write, which means more opportunities to upload! I have so many exciting plans for this story, you have no idea!**

 **Also, a big thank you to my amazing reviewers: MadnessJones, jgoss, Autobot-Bre-Lightblast, Mywinx14, The Silvernote, Guest, and RewindandDomey4ever. I love your feedback, and every time I see someone left a review it brightens my day!**

 **I hope you enjoy the longest chapter in my story thus far. You all deserve it!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 9: Alive**

 **–––––**

 _The explosion rocked our house, a deep rumbling causing me to sway on my feet. I clutched the couch for support, the rest of my family doing the same to any nearby object._

 _After a few moments, the rumbling stopped, and I looked up. Mom's face was completely white, Aidan's hazel eyes widened with horror._

" _What was that?" He asked, and I sprung up, making my way towards the window. I peered outside, heart tumbling to the pits of my stomach as a house in the distance was engulfed in smoke, flames illuminating the outside._

 _I felt a rough hand squeeze my shoulder, and my father pulled me away from the window. "Get in the basement," he ordered._

" _What?" I pulled from his grip, swiveling my body to look at him. "Dad, we have to_ leave _. Something is going on."_

" _We are not leaving," he said, grabbing my arm to guide me to the doors of the basement. My mother was talking on the phone, muttering quick, panicked phrases to the person on the other end._

 _I dug my heels into the hardwood floors, nudging my dad. "There's a house on fire down the street, Dad! Who says it's not going to happen to our–"_

 _My comment was cut off but the booming echo of another explosion, this time closer. I heard a distant scream, and multiple engines roared in the stillness of the morning._

" _Listen to your father," Mom hurried to me, handing me my backpack for school. She grabbed cans from the kitchen shelves, shoving them into my brother's hands. She continued to the fridge, grabbing water bottles and offering them to me._

" _Mom, what are you doing?" Aidan asked the question I was afraid to bring up._

" _We need to get supplies in case we do have to leave," she said, handing Aidan his backpack as well._

 _My father turned me to face him, and I almost jumped at the sight of a pistol in his hand. "Take this," he said, gently grabbing my hand and placing the weapon into my palm. "The safety is on. We've been to shooting ranges in the past, you know how to fire it, right?"_

 _I hesitantly nodded, sending a fearful look to my brother, whose eyes reflected the same amount of terror I felt in my mind._

" _Braelyn," my mother's voice drifted from the hallway, and I made my way to where she was standing. Aidan and Dad hurried behind me, almost tripping as an explosion rattled my home once more._

 _Mom opened a door, pointing to the darkness within. "You and your brother need to go in the basement, alright? Your father and I need to get a few more things, but we want you two to be safe."_

" _Why can't you come with us?" Aidan's voice trembled. I had never seen him so vulnerable before, and my stomach twisted._

" _It'll only take a few minutes. We'll be there soon." Mom pulled Aidan towards her, kissing him on the forehead. Dad brought me into his arms, kissing my cheek gently, and I saw tears pooling in the corner of his eyes._

" _Dad?" I asked quietly, just so the two of us could hear it. He shook his head, pushing me towards the stairs._

" _We love you both, more than anything. I promise, we'll be with you soon. It's going to be okay."_

 _As I was forced into the darkness, I opened my mouth to say something, although I couldn't get anything out. The door shut, encasing us in silent darkness, and I felt Aidan reach for my hand._

" _Come on," he said, guiding us down the stairs. We made our way towards a small window near the ceiling, crouching in a corner. I hadn't realized my body was trembling until I sat down, leaning against the cold stone wall._

" _It's the Decepticons, right?" I asked, and Aidan turned his head to look at me. I met his eyes, and my answer was immediately confirmed._

" _Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he replied, squeezing my hand._

 _We remained in the darkness for what seemed like forever, the soft glow from the window providing the only light. More explosions seemed to come from everywhere, all at once, the destruction going on outside making me jump to a stand._

" _Come on. We need to get the hell out of here," I said, pulling myself to look out the window. My grip almost slipped as I saw the glow of flames reflecting off the trees, the once sunny day now clouded over with thick, black smoke. I gripped the edge of the frame, sliding the glass over as the scent of burning wood and oil drifted into my nose._

" _What about Mom and Dad?" Aidan said, coming to my side as I went over to a nearby couch. I grabbed the sides of it, and with my brother's aid, pushed it under the window._

" _They said not to worry about them. I don't know what they're doing," I stood on the couch, sliding the small window open, "but we can get them once we get out."_

 _Aidan nodded, positioning himself beside me. "You first," he gestured to the window, and I wasted no time as I pushed my backpack through first, sliding my body between the frame. I wriggled, finally pulling myself out the window, and onto thick, lush grass._

 _Aidan did the same as well, and I grabbed his hand, helping him out of the small space. His legs had just made it through before it felt as if my ear drums burst, an explosion sending debris flying from my house._

" _No!" I screamed, grabbing Aidan's arm as I pushed myself up, dodging pieces of the debris. A high-pitched squealing noise took over my hearing, and I collapsed, catching my body before it slammed into the ground. Flames immediately began to grow within the depths of our house, and I choked back a sob._

" _Mom! Dad!" Aidan slipped away from me, stumbling onto our back porch, now littered with charred pieces of wood paneling and furniture._

 _I choked back a sob as my eyes fell onto what looked like human flesh, fighting the urge to empty my stomach's contents as I hurried onto the porch. The flames roared louder, the intense heat making my vision blurred as I reached for Aidan's arm._

" _We have to go!" I shouted, and my brother turned to look at me. Devastation consumed his eyes, tears trailing down his face. He gave a small nod, and allowed me to drag him off of the porch. We sprinted towards the tree line, and I halted, looking back at our neighborhood. My eye caught a large form rising behind the rubble of a house in the distance, it's burning, red eyes visible. They appeared to shift towards where we stood and I gasped, pushing Aidan ahead of me into the forest._

 _It was the beginning of the end._

 **–––––**

Sideswipe stepped back, and I righted myself, my lip curling in disgust as I spat once again, "You are a _monster_!"

"Braelyn, I–" Sideswipe attempted to speak, but I cut him off.

"No. Please. Get–get _away_ from me." My eyes flickered to the ground, and I leaned to pick up my gun, fixing it back into the holster on my belt. Sideswipe's holoform vanished in a flurry of sparks, and I could've sworn a deep red mixed into the usual blue.

The Corvette rumbled to life, and I took a few steps back as Sideswipe transformed. He opened his mouth to speak but I shook my head, grabbing the strap of my backpack.

"Sideswipe, I...I trusted you. I thought that maybe, _maybe_ you weren't like the Decepticons, someone I could rely on. And after this," I motioned to the woman's destroyed body, smoke still trailing off of her burned flesh, "you are no different from the ones who killed my mom and dad."

Sideswipe's frame froze, his optics dimming into a shade of deep navy, darker than I had ever seen them. His mouth opened slightly, but before he could form any words, I continued speaking.

"This past week, you've helped protect me. And I'm truly grateful for that. But...you _killed_ people, humans like me. And if you dare to follow me, Sideswipe..." I sighed. "Just don't. Please."

My head felt foggy as I turned around, tears slipping onto my cheeks.

"Braelyn!" Sideswipe shouted, his voice echoing.

"Goodbye," I whispered, keeping my head down as I sped forward.

"Please," Sideswipe begged. The ground trembled under my feet as I felt him moving towards me. I shook my head, brushing stray strands of my hair aside as they clung to my tear-stained face. "You'll die," his voice rasped.

I paused, shifting my body so I could see him. The pain on his silver face squeezed my heart, and I sucked in a breathe, my chest heaving as I held back a sob. "I'm already as good as dead," I choked out. Before I could let him say another word, I took off at a sprint, clutching the straps of my backpack as if they were my tether to the ground.

I was a broken jigsaw puzzle. And the world around me was the missing piece.

I was never going to get it back.

 **–––––**

I pulled my legs close to my chest, my arms wrapping around my thighs as I leaned against the base of a tree.

Two nights. I lasted two nights without him. I was _okay_.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I reached over to grab my bag, and fumbled around until my hands felt the rough texture of a can. I pulled it out, frowning as I pulled the bag closer, a sudden realization dawning on me that this was one of the last cans.

My forehead fell against my knee, and I took a deep breath.

"You're okay," I whispered, a poor attempt to calm myself as I grit my teeth, biting back a scream.

If I was going to have a continuous back-and-forth battle between finding small amounts of food, eating them, and shortly after having to find more, I was _done_. What was the point?

I grabbed the can opener, opened the can, and stared at the contents inside. Soggy peas hiding beneath a clouded liquid stared right back at me, and I fought back the urge to hurdle them into a nearby tree.

As I scooped a spoonful of flavorless peas into my mouth, my mind wandered to Sideswipe. Had he started looking for his brother? Had he forgotten about me? Would he try to find someone else to save?

 _Stop it,_ I told myself, shaking my head. _He doesn't matter anymore._

What mattered was that I got more food.

 **–––––**

I took a small sip of water as I sat on the curb of a neighborhood. Most of the houses surrounding me were just remnants of what used to be the homes of families before the Decepticons reduced any living spaces to rubble.

Clouds darkened the sky, although bits of sun peeked through every now and then.

A door opened, then shut. I whipped my head towards the source of the sound, my eyes falling on a young girl skipping down a path from one of the only remaining houses intact. I froze, wondering if she saw me before heading outside.

She was no older than four or five, bright-red curls bouncing as she made her way towards a swing hanging off of a tree. I shifted to see her better, but she paused, my small amount of movement catching her attention.

Her eyes met mine, and I offered a smile, hoping it didn't look fake or suspicious. Her eyebrows raised as she stared at me, then quickly glanced back at the house she came out of. As she turned to look at me again, a lopsided grin spread across her face, and she moved to cross the street.

"Hello!" She squeaked, stepping onto the concrete as she made her way towards me. I didn't want to move, afraid anything unexpected would startle her. Was she alone? Where were her parents?

She slowed down as she neared me, eyeing the gun at my belt. I lifted my hands, showing I meant no harm.

"Who are you?" She asked, her words rushed and spoken with caution.

"My name is Braelyn," I said gently. "I...I was just stopping here for a break. I'm not from around here."

"You're alive?"

"Uh, well, yes, I'm very alive. I promise I'm real." I stuck my hand out for her to touch.

She looked at me, her dark brown eyes scanning my hand before she reached out.

"Kenzie!" A voice cut through the air, and I grew stiff as a boy a few years younger than me rushed out of the same house. He held a baseball bat in his hands, and I stood up, backing away quickly before he could assume I was going to hurt the little girl.

Kenzie turned to watch as he quickly came to her side, pulling her small body towards him. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, her curls falling across her shoulders as she shifted her arm to point at me. "She's not mean."

"We don't know that," the boy muttered softly, although I heard it. He lifted his head to look at me, and I bit my lip. "Why are you here?" His eyes fell onto the gun at my hip. "Hand that over. Now."

I unclipped the holster from my waist, not giving a second thought as I passed it to his waiting arm. "I was just stopping for a small break. I've been traveling for a few days. I'm running out of food, so I figured I could check in any house I stumble across."

His eyes narrowed, and he glanced at Kenzie before letting out a breath. "We haven't seen any people in a _long_ time," he ran a hand through the girl's hair, his own more of a brown color, although they both shared the same set of light freckles. "I think my sister got too excited before thinking of telling me that she saw you."

I nodded, keeping quiet as I shifted my weight. "I understand–well, on the people part, anyways."

"Our parents were at work the day it happened," the boy said, and he shook his head, bringing Kenzie closer to him.

"I barely escaped my house before the Decepticons destroyed it. My parents were inside." He met my eyes, and a sort of understanding reflected back at me.

"It all happened so quickly," he mused, eyeing the ground.

"Have you seen any? The Decepticons, I mean," I muttered.

"Even though it's been a few months, no, we haven't. Have you?"

"I've seen two, one–" I paused, wondering if I should tell them about Sideswipe saving my life from the Decepticon that found me. "It didn't see me, luckily. I was in a house."

"Was it scary?" Kenzie asked, stepping away from her brother's grip.

"I was terrified," I replied, giving her a small smile. "I was happy it didn't find me. If so, it probably would've...really hurt me." I turned to look at the boy.

"I haven't asked," he said, taking his eyes off of Kenzie to look at me, "what's your name?"

"Oh, that's right. I'm Braelyn," I answered, extending an arm.

He set down the baseball bat, extending his arm to meet mine. "Jack," he said, his grip firm as we shook hands.

Kenzie tugged on Jack's shirt, and he crouched, allowing her to lean into him. She cupped her hand as she whispered something into his ear. Jack nodded, standing up.

"Kenzie wanted to know if you could come inside. You said you needed food, didn't you?"

"I am running out of it, but if it burdens you, I can keep searching," I offered.

"No. There's no need." He took a step in the direction of the house, motioning for me to follow him. "My mom, having lived in North Carolina the majority of her life, had her fair share of tornado warnings. So, she always kept an unnecessarily large supply of food in the basement, which has come in handy since, well, you know–all of this happened."

"Thank you," I said, taking a moment to look at the two people I just found. People that _didn't_ want to kill me.

We reached the front steps, and Jack opened the door to lead me inside. Kenzie bounded into the house, disappearing down a hallway. A small boy appeared from another one, stepping cautiously into the foyer.

"Jack? Who is–"

"Oh! This little bugger," Jack leaned down to scoop up the small boy, "Is Travis. Travis, say hello to Braelyn."

Travis stuck out a toddler hand, flapping it in a waving motion. I held back a laugh, returning his wave.

"Is it just the three of you?" I asked, scanning any adjacent rooms for other people.

"Yeah," Jack replied, setting Travis onto the ground. He ran down the hallway Kenzie went down, and Jack set off after him. "It's about time for lunch. Do you have any requests?"

"Um, whatever you have I'll eat," I said. "I'm not that picky."

We made our way into the kitchen, Kenzie and Travis playing with some toy trucks on the hardwood floors. Jack guided me to a table, and I sat down, watching as he pulled a few cans from a cabinet.

"Jack?" Kenzie's voice drifted from the floor, and I leaned in my chair to catch a glimpse of her. "Can I have an orange?"

An _orange_?

"You...you have oranges?" I gaped, and Jack stopped opening one of the cans to look at me.

"We have all kinds of fruit and veggies," he answered, handing three oranges to Kenzie from a basket I hadn't seen on the counter. "My mom loved to garden, so we have a lot of fresh food in the summer."

Kenzie handed me an orange, and I failed to notice the tears slipping onto my cheeks before she observed, "You're crying."

I sniffed, quickly wiping at my face. "I haven't had fresh food in a long time." I looked to Jack, whose face turned from concern to joy. "Thank you."

He nodded, continuing to prepare lunch. I ate the orange in less than a few minutes, liquid from the fruit dribbling past my lips onto my chin, my taste buds savoring in the intense but sweet flavor.

"Alright, lunch time," Jack called, moving four plates from the counter and onto the table, as well as glasses of water. He helped Travis into a high chair at the head of the table, and Kenzie slipped into the seat next to me as Jack sat across. He handed me a napkin, before settling into his chair.

Kenzie and Travis waited patiently, and I glanced at Jack, nervous to touch my food.

"We like to pray before we eat," Jack said. "You know–hope is what keeps us going."

I nodded, leaning back as we brought our hands together.

"God, we thank you for the abundance of food on our plates each and every day. We also thank you for our safety, and–"

Kenzie cut him off, "and for bringing Braelyn to us. Without Mommy and Daddy, we have been alone. But now," she looked up to me, revealing missing teeth in her loving grin, "I have a new friend!"

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "Amen."

The three grabbed their lettuce wraps, biting into them. My smile warmed at the fresh lettuce, the avocado and tomatoes inside.

It felt like I was home again.

 **–––––**

"Ha! I win!" Kenzie shrieked, setting her board game piece onto the table.

Travis lay asleep on the couch behind Jack as the older boy crossed his arms, shaking his head. "You cheated."

"Nuh-uh," Kenzie hopped off her chair. "I won. Fair and square."

Jack stood up, gently lifting Travis off the couch and into his arms. "It's time for bed."

The lamplight flickered, creating harsh shadows on Kenzie's face as she pouted. "But…"

"No buts," I said, offering her a smile. "If it makes it better, I'm going to bed too. It's getting pretty late"

Her eyes widened and she grinned, making her way to where Jack stood by the entrance to the living room.

"I'll be back soon," Jack murmured, disappearing into the hallway, led by a triumphant Kenzie.

Minutes later, footsteps creaked against the floorboards as Jack entered the room. "So. We have a guest room, if you want to stay upstairs, or you can sleep on a couch–"

"I can't stay," I blurted, looking away.

"What? You're leaving–now?"

"No. I'll stay for tonight. But..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Are you sure?" Jack's voice had quieted, and he remained where he had stopped at the doorway.

"I told you about my brother–Aidan. He...he could still be out there. I won't stop searching for him until I find him," I shook my head. "I'm so sorry. You've done a lot for me today, and…"

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize," Jack pulled a few blankets out of a bin and walked over to where I sat on a couch. He handed them to me, forcing a smile onto his face.

"How do I repay you?"

He froze. "You don't need to–"

"I do."

"Seeing Kenzie as happy as she was today was all I needed. She'll be upset you're leaving so soon, but she'll understand." He sat across from me on a couch parallel from the one I was on.

"I need to be honest with you, Jack. There's more to my story than just wandering for a few months."

Jack lifted his eyebrows, but said nothing. A silent question, to know the truth about me.

I launched into the first day I met Sideswipe, how he rescued me from a Decepticon. Saving me once again from two lunatics in a house, driving me all over the state in search for my brother. I left out our time at the lake, mentioning how we had followed a car into a town. How he killed the three people, and I left him.

Jack gaped at me, and I sucked in a deep breath of air.

"You really met an Autobot?"

I nodded, hugging my arms close to my torso as I lifted my feet onto the couch. "Yeah. He...he was a lot different than I imagined. But after he killed those people, it reminded me of how my parents died, and I remembered how deadly his species could be."

"Are you sure he wasn't just protecting you?"

My eyes drifted to the floor. "He was protecting me, but I could have talked to those people. Asked them if they had seen my brother. They...they didn't _hurt_ me, they just felt threatened by Sideswipe. Anyone would be."

Jack slowly nodded, scratching at his neck before meeting my eyes. "I guess it's my turn to be honest. I don't know what I'm going to do when the food runs out–when winter comes, and the plants in the garden die."

"Are there stores nearby?"

"A few, yes. A couple miles from here. But I can't bring Kenzie and Travis with me. It's too dangerous. And I can't leave them alone, because only God knows what'll happen if I'm not watching after them."

"I'm sure if you tell Kenzie to not leave the house, and to keep hidden in the basement when you're gone, they'll be fine."

Jack shrugged, but nodded at my suggestion. "I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." He glanced at the entryway to the living room, bringing himself to a stand. "Well, have a nice night, Braelyn. I'll see you in the morning."

I remained quiet as he left the room, my eyes falling onto the small lamp perched in the center of a nearby table. I threw the blankets around me legs, settling into the corner of the couch.

I wondered how I had gone from wandering the streets to inside a nice house with a boy taking care of his younger siblings–only to have to leave the next day. My heart squeezed at the thought of leaving them alone, with no way of protecting themselves if someone or a Decepticon were to find them.

 _They'll be okay_ , I reminded myself. Jack had a large amount of food, enough to at least make it to next spring. Hopefully by then I could find Aidan and bring him back here, where we could try to make a living for ourselves, five kids without parents.

Exhaustion began to creep through my bones, and I hugged my knees to my chest, burrowing deeper under the blanket.

I needed rest. Who knew what obstacles the next day would bring?

 **–––––**

 **Wow. A lot of emotions for this chapter. At least this chappie doesn't end as terribly as the last one did...right?**

 **My big question for you is: How would you handle the situation if you were in Braelyn's shoes? Would you stay with Jack and his siblings, or leave them behind to continue searching for your brother (who, may or may not already be dead)? I want to hear your guys' thoughts!**

 **– SapphireSpark**


	10. Finding You

**Before you freak out, yes, this is _really_ happening. After a full year of not having updated this story, I'm finally bringing you a new chapter. **

**Wow, guys. I don't have any words for how sorry I feel for keeping you waiting for a whole _year_. Last fall, I started a new chapter of my life: going to college. From classes to clubs, I made sure to keep myself busy, but kept time outside of school to be with friends. In addition, I had a major writer's block, and lack of inspiration for what felt like _forever_. But, I recently started to feel myself again, and wanted to take a shot at writing again. Boy, did I miss it.**

 **This story is something I hold dearly to myself. I see myself in Braelyn, and really want to share her story with all of you. I have SO many exciting things planned for this story, and I can only ask that you continue to be incredible and inspiring readers as I update you guys. I will try my best to update this more consistently, since you all deserve it.**

 **So, enough of all of this blabber. I have my longest chapter yet, and I am so happy to share it with you! However, I would suggest you reread all of the previous chapters since, well, it's been a _while_ , haha.**

 **Well, without further ado, here is the tenth chapter of this story. Enjoy!**

 **–––––**

 **Chapter 10: Finding You**

 **–––––**

"But you just got here!" Kenzie whined, gripping onto my shorts with her small hands. She pouted, refusing to take her eyes off of my guilty face.

"I'm sorry," I said, grabbing her hands and holding them in mine as I crouched to meet her eyes. "I have a brother that could still be alive. I need to at least try to find him."

"You're better than Jack! You can't go!" Kenzie shifted to look at her brother, who stood a few feet away, an amused look on his face. He held Travis in his arms, the younger boy watching me intently.

"She awards that title to any person that's not me," Jack protested.

I turned back to Kenzie, chuckling softly. "As much as I love to have the title 'Better Than Jack', I don't think that will stop me from leaving, Kenzie. I'm sorry."

I finished putting the food cans into my bag, a process the young girl had distracted me from, and slung it onto my back. A light seemed to fade from Jack's face, and he nodded towards the front door.

"Be careful out there. You've made it this far already, I have no doubt that you will be fine."

"I'll try my best," I replied, forcing a smile onto my face.

Jack set Travis down, pulling open a nearby closet and rummaging around until he paused, leaning further into the space. When he emerged, he held out my belt with the pistol. "I figured you'd need this back."

I grabbed the belt, removing the pistol from its holster. I turned the weapon in my hand, my eyes falling onto the three people in front of me.

They needed this more.

"It's yours," I said, handing the gun back. Jack's eyebrows raised, and he slowly reached out to grab it.

"You don't need to do this, you know."

"Yeah," I said, "I do. If you come across a Decepticon, aim for the eyes. Keep it on you at all times. This could save your life."

Jack nodded, opening his mouth but failing to say something as he placed the pistol onto a table nearby.

"Okay," I let out a breath. "I think I better get going." I shuffled towards the handle of the front door, turning it.

"Wait," Jack muttered, and I froze. He glanced at Kenzie, now at his side, his eyes falling back onto my face. "You said you ran from that Autobot. Sideswipe."

He paused, and I wasn't sure if I should say something. "Yeah?"

"Look, Braelyn, from what you told me, I think he really cares about you and th–"

"What if he killed your siblings?" I blurted, anger bubbling beneath my skin.

"That's not my point. I'm saying people make mistakes...he did what he thought was best for your safety, from the story you told me."

My eyes fell to the floor, and I clenched the fabric of my shorts. Was Jack right? Did I overreact?

"You're saying I took what he did the wrong way."

"Well...yeah, I guess so. I mean that lady sounded like she was going to kill you if he hadn't killed her."

"It's too late. I already made it clear I didn't want him near me." I twisted the handle, the door splitting from the frame to reveal the outdoors.

Jack fell silent, and I stepped out onto the front steps, staring at the street in front of me. I turned back, my lips curling into a smile as I looked at the three people in front of me.

"Thank you for everything," I said lightly. "You've given me hope that there's still good people out here."

Jack grinned, grabbing Kenzie's hand, the young girl lifting her other hand to wave. "Bye, Braelyn! Come back, okay?"

"I will," I replied, "and hopefully my brother will be with me."

Jack reached out to close the door, stopping it so I could just see his face. "You be careful now, Braelyn."

"Same with you." A second later, the door gently shut, and I shuffled down the stairs.

It was time I found Aidan. I had to.

 **–––––**

Night fell quickly as I walked down an empty road, passing by flipped cars and debris. I tugged on the straps of my backpack, watching as my feet crunched against chunks of the broken-apart pavement on the side of the road.

I lifted my head, the last bit of sun slipping under the horizon. It would soon be pitch black, a time I had to find shelter and a safe place to rest. I came to a stop, leaning against a car balanced perfectly on its side, its frame dented and scratched beyond repair.

A crinkling sound came from nearby, and I flinched, hand flying for the gun at my holster. My heart dropped, my fingers running over the empty pocket, and as I shifted, I heard the sound once more.

Peering down at my feet, I lifted my shoe, revealing a wrapper stuck to the bottom of my foot. The labeling on the side claimed the package contained mini muffins, and I tore it off the sole of my shoe, furrowing my eyebrows. Something wasn't right.

I dropped to my knees, noticing the sunroof glass had been shattered. In the dim light I could barely make out a few blankets and stack of food along the bottom of the car, cursing myself as the sound of leaves crunching in the nearby woods came from a dangerous distance.

"Holy shit."

The voice was feminine, laced with surprise more than fear or concern. A woman, probably in her early twenties, stepped out of the woods, carrying two canteens of water in her hands. I grabbed a knife out of my boot, clenching it in my fist. I could see no visible weapons on the woman's body, but that didn't account for what could be hidden under her clothes.

She went to move forward, but I hissed, "Don't you move a muscle."

The woman obeyed, letting out a low whistle. "I haven't seen a person in, well, a _long_ time. I thought I was one of the only humans left on this shattered planet." Her voice was laced with a thick southern accent.

"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring her comment.

"Stranger, you don't need to be so... aggressive? My name's Anna, and from the look of it, _you're_ the one standing near my home." She shifted, eyeing the lopsided car behind me. "I promise I'm by myself. I have no weapons on me, but if you look in the car you'll find a pocket knife on the left side."

I didn't move, keeping my gaze on her. Slowly, I lowered my knife, reminding myself to keep alert. It was easy for people to lie these days.

"Why are you hiding in a car?"

Anna shrugged. "Even though it's on the road, those nasty Decepticons have passed it multiple times but haven't seemed to notice me. It seems like they target homes instead, where they think people will be holed up, trying to wait out this nightmare." She raised her eyebrows, nodding towards me, her short black hair falling in front of her face. "Got a name?"

"Oh, right," I muttered. "I'm Braelyn."

"Well, Braelyn. Mind if I put these canteens down in my car?"

I forgot I had ordered her to stay put. It bugged me why Anna was so _unafraid_ of me, acting as if me holding a knife wasn't threatening. Didn't she know immediately trusting someone these days could get her killed?

"Yeah, go ahead." I backed away from the sunroof, and Anna walked past me, leaning in quite a ways to place her bottles down.

"There's a river nearby," Anna's muffled voice cleared when she leaned out of the car. She carried a lantern in her hand, turning it on. "I found it not long after the world went to shit, so it's been nice having a water source to rely on."

I watched as the lantern's soft light created shadows among her face. "Do you have any family?" I blurted.

Something in Anna's face shifted, and she quickly shook her head. Her hazel eyes were wide, tears pooling in them. "I…" She gulped, furiously wiping at her face as tears fell onto her cheeks. "I actually had a son. Theo. Theo was his name. I had him when I was eighteen, and he was the greatest gift I ever had."

My chest clenched as I watched her fall apart. This innocent woman had already gone through so much in her life, and when I saw her earlier I could not find any fear.

"He died in a car accident. My sister and I were fleeing our parents' house, who weren't home at the time, and we collided with another car."

"And your sister?"

"Died instantly, right along with my Theo. You may wonder why I choose to stay in this destroyed car when my loved ones were killed in an accident. I hope, one day, by staying on the road I could find my parents...you know, if they happen to pass by."

"I lost my parents," I said softly. As I glanced at my surroundings, it surprised me how fast darkness had spread around us. "I got separated from my younger brother. I'm hoping to find him too."

"All we can do is–"

An engine roared.

"The light!" I hissed. "Turn it off!"

Anna sucked in a breath, switching the lantern off. Darkness enveloped me, and I became aware of the heavy thumping of my heart.

A hand grazed my skin and I yanked my arm back. I soon realized it was Anna, trying to reach out to me.

"Get in the car with me, Braelyn," she whispered. The engine was growing louder, its low growl sending a chill down my spine.

I could make out Anna's body slipping into the car, and followed, maneuvering my smaller frame through the sunroof. I crouched next to her, and reached out my hand to grab hers.

She was trembling, and I gave her hand a squeeze. "It's alright," I said, "just don't make a sound and stay still." I released her hand, wrapping my arms around my torso.

 _Please pass us_. The car had to be less than half a mile away. A similar whine of an engine sounded from the opposite direction, and I closed my eyes.

This wasn't a coincidence.

"There's two?" Anna shifted closer to me, and I wanted to slap myself. My gun was no where near me, and if those cars were Decepticons, to put it nicely, we'd be screwed. If I had kept moving, went deep into the woods for the night, I could have avoided this.

The cars rolled to a stop, their engines lowly rumbling from less than a hundred feet away.

Click. Screech. Hiss.

Silence.

Metal squealed as I heard what I had been dreading, begging for it to stop, for this to be a nightmare. The cars transformed, and the ground shook as an unfamiliar language was spoken between the two of them.

Anna bit her hand to keep from screaming, and I stared up above me, closing my eyes.

 _Please. I don't want to die._

"We know you pesky insect is here," one of them finally spoke in English.

"Come out and play," the other one added, the car trembling as the Decepticons began to move.

I looked at Anna. She stared blankly ahead, emotion wiped off her face, mouth hanging slightly open. Was she remembering the deaths of those she loved?

Before my mind could keep up, my feet swept me out of the sunroof, around the car, and directly in front of the enemy.

I yelled, grabbing my knife from my boot and throwing it towards the smaller Decepticon. It bounced off of it's dark metal plating, and the two of them froze for a second, then laughed.

"Humans are so worthless," the taller one growled, its red optics gleaming with hunger. "But you just made it so much easier for us."

"Stop!" Anna's voice rang from behind me.

"There's two? Even better!" The shorter one lunged for Anna, and she ran to the side, dodging its grasp.

I felt helpless. I ran to Anna, grabbing her arm to lead into the woods. Maybe, just maybe if we could get into the woods, we could outrun them.

Anna's arm slipped from my hand, her shrill scream piercing the air as one of the Decepticons grabbed her tightly.

"Let go of her!" I yelled, watching as the one holding her paused, looking back to its comrade.

"Get rid of the smaller femme. She irritates me." It transformed, encasing Anna in its car form, before speeding off.

"No!" I watched as the headlights faded in the distance, leaving me alone. Where was it taking her?

The remaining Decepticon looked at me, blood-red optics narrowing in delight.

I took off in the opposite direction. I wouldn't go down without at least _trying_ to escape, to survive.

A flaming bullet soared past me, sending a nearby car on fire, exploding within seconds. I faltered a few steps, shading my face from the harsh heat and debris. My lungs screamed in protest as a cold metallic hand clamped around my torso, lifting me into the air.

The Decepticon turned me to face it, chuckling as it shook its head. "This is going to be _so_ fun."

I spat at it, momentarily distracting it as I squirmed, slipping out of its grasp. I collapsed onto the pavement, pulling myself up as I took off at a sprint, sweat beading on my forehead. I beelined for the forest, zig-zagging to dodge the Decepticon's fire as it tried to shoot me.

Feeling like I was in the clear, I glanced back, shrieking as a fireball soared right at me. I threw myself to the ground, and a tree exploded, pieces of bark shooting in every direction. Before I could get up, the Decepticon's hand grasped my legs, and I clawed at the ground, completely useless.

It flipped me onto my back, using its hand to grab my arms while the other grabbed my legs. Slowly it began to pull, and I desperately squirmed, biting back a scream.

Pain ripped through my limbs and my scream released, cutting through the silent surroundings.

A growl emitted from nearby, and a strong force sent the Decepticon soaring into the ground, dropping me in the process. I tumbled for a few moments before coming to a stop, hissing as I turned just in time to see a glint silver of speed by, tackling into the Decepticon.

"Side...swipe?" I choked out in disbelief, holding back a sob as the familiar Autobot shoved his sword into the neck of the Decepticon, blowing its head off within seconds. He turned to look at me, harsh blue optics softening as he made contact with my stare.

I pushed myself from the ground, knees shaking as if some unknown force grabbed hold of them and wouldn't let go. I swayed on my feet, steadying myself as I looked at Sideswipe, who kept his distance from me.

"Are you...okay?" He asked, a frown crossing his lip plates. His optics flickered to the ground, and I felt my heart clench.

"Yeah," I answered. My eyes trailed to the body of the Decepticon, a twisted piece of metal in the middle of the road. Jack's words echoed in my mind, and I looked back to Sideswipe. "I–"

"Primus, Braelyn," Sideswipe cut me off, wheeling a little bit closer to me. "I am so sorry. For everything."

I looked away, hugging my arms to my body. People _died_ because of Sideswipe– a family that had just been trying to survive. I glanced back towards him, and saw something flicker in his optics.

He had only been trying to protect me.

I turned away, guilt and embarrassment overwhelming me. I had left him. Screamed. Called him a _monster_. This whole time he was the one who saved me, who found me when I could have died at the hands of the Decepticon.

"You're not a monster," I whispered. With his advanced hearing I know he had understood what I said, but I couldn't bear to look at him.

"You were right," Sideswipe said, his voice gentle. "I shouldn't have hurt those people so fast. I...I panicked, and thought the only way to keep you safe would be to kill them. But, we could've talked to them without anyone needing to get hurt."

I kept my back to him, staring at my feet.

"Braelyn, can you at least look at me?"

"I was stupid," I said, shaking my head. "I stormed off and left you. I almost died again today, and you had to save me _again_."

Gears whirred and shifted, and in a matter of seconds Sideswipe's holoform materialized a few feet away from me. His eyes gazed at me softly, and he took a step closer. I shifted a step backwards, but stopped as he began to speak.

"When you left, you told me you were already as good as dead. I saw the hope leave your eyes, and could only see pure hatred. I couldn't help but feel like I had ruined you. I frightened you, and should have known immediately what I did was wrong."

Slowly, I lifted my head to gaze at him. "I'm the one who should apologize, Sideswipe. You were only trying to protect me, and I didn't realize it then. If you hadn't been there, those people could have killed me."

Before I could react, Sideswipe had his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. The familiarity of it, the gentleness of his touch, all of it reminded me that I needed him. I wrapped my arms around his torso, leaning into his shoulder.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he muttered. For some reason, this made me chuckle, and he pulled away, arching an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's always me doing stupid things that almost gets me killed," I replied, shrugging.

"You're _not_ as good as dead," he said, pushing a strand of hair away from my face. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, causing me to grin.

"I missed you," I said softly.

He pulled me close, and I sighed as I felt his warmth encase me once more. "I missed you too," he replied.

I wish we could've stayed frozen in that moment forever.

 **–––––**

 **WOWIE. I'm so glad this chapter is done! I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts. Would you forgive Sideswipe? Would you have even gotten angry with him in the first place?**

 **I really missed this- writing, interacting with you guys, ALL of it. It's so good to be back.**

 **– SapphireSpark**


End file.
